The primary goal of ReTree Nebraska is to properly plant 1 million high quality trees in Nebraska communities by 2017. But because ReTree Nebraska is about restoring and revitalizing Nebraska's community forests, ReTree Nebraska goes beyond planting trees to:

• significantly increase the planting of high-quality, large-growing, long-lived trees in communities across the state with the goal of planting more trees each year than are removed;
• significantly increase the diversity, quality and average canopy cover of most Nebraska community forests;
• strengthen the capacity of most Nebraska communities to develop and implement sustainable community tree management programs;
• work with the nursery industry to secure higher-quality trees and a wider variety of trees for local tree planting efforts;
• engage professional arborists and other green industry professionals to help improve and expand high-quality tree care;
• increase Nebraskans’ knowledge and understanding of the value of trees and the importance of properly planting and caring for them;
• significantly increase Nebraskans’ awareness of the threats of pine wilt, emerald ash borer, drought, weather and other events which could collectively kill millions of trees across the state in the coming years;
• correct poor planting and maintenance practices that have significantly reduced the health of many community trees planted in the last 30 years; and
• assist communities in the development of “Community Tree Recovery Action Plans” that will evaluate and quantify the local community tree resources, identify community goals for enhancing those resources and develop action plans for achieving those goals.