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What
Is Tree City USA? |
Tree City USA, sponsored by the National Arbor Day
Foundation in cooperation with the USDA Forest Service and the National
Association of State Foresters, provides direction, technical assistance, public
attention, national recognition for urban and community forestry programs in
thousands of towns and cities that more than 93 million Americans call home.
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Tree City USA
Fun Facts |
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The City
of Melbourne has been a Tree City USA for 18 years. |
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There
are 272 incorporated cities in Florida |
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120
cities in Florida at Tree City USA. This is 44% of
all the Florida cities. |
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Orlando
is the oldest Tree City in Florida with 29 years. |
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What are the
benefits of being designated a Tree City USA? |
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Every community,
regardless of size, benefits in different ways from
being a Tree City USA. Reports of these benefits
have reached The National Arbor Day Foundation
through the years and are summarized below in six
general categories:
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Framework for
Action: Meeting the four standards for
becoming a Tree City USA provides initial
direction for an urban or community forestry
program.
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Education:
Education begins with discussion of the
standards and getting organized to apply for
Tree City USA status. In turn, this can set in
motion aid from a variety of professionals in
the form of technical advise, literature, films,
and other assistance.
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Public Image:
A community’s public image is a very real
phenomenon and important in many ways. Being a
Tree City USA helps present the kind of image
that most citizens want to have for the place
they live or conduct business. The Tree City
USA signs at community entrances tell visitors
that the community cares about the environment.
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Citizen Pride:
Pride is sometimes a less tangible benefit.
Gaining and retaining Tree City USA recognition
is an award to the tree workers, managers,
volunteers, tree board members and others who
work on behalf of better care of a community’s
trees. Non-involved citizens, too, often share
a sense of Pride that theirs is a Tree City USA.
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Financial Assistance: Preference is
sometimes given to Tree City USA communities
over other Communities when allocations of grant
money are made for trees or Forestry programs.
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Publicity:
Presentation of the Tree City USA award and the
celebration of Arbor Day offer excellent
publicity opportunities.
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Requirements to be Tree City USA |
To
qualify for Tree City USA, a town or city must meet
four standards established by The National Arbor Day
Foundation and the National Association of State
Foresters. These standards were established to
ensure that every qualifying community would have
viable tree management plan and program.
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A Tree board or department |
A
Tree City USA has a forester, city department or
tree board designated by ordinance to be responsible
for community tree care.
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A Tree ordinance |
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A Tree City USA has a
community tree care ordinance in effect giving the
tree board or department the responsibility for
writing and implementing an annual community
forestry work plan. The ordinance determines public
tree care policies for planting, maintenance, and
removals.
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A budget of $2 per capita |
A Tree
City USA has an active community forestry program,
evidenced by an annual budget of at least $2 per
capital. The program addresses dead and hazardous
tree removal, pruning, planting, watering and
fertilizing, and insect and disease control.
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An Arbor Day
observance and proclamation |
A Tree
City USA proclaims and observes Arbor Day. Arbor
Day is an Opportunity for publicity and to educate
citizens about proper tree care and the value of
community trees.
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