Western Forestry Leadership Coalition and Arbor Day Foundation Recognize Eight Western Cities Celebrating 40th Anniversary as Tree City USA®
WFLC
DENVER, CO – 2016 marks the 40th Anniversary of the Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree City USA program. The Western Forestry Leadership Coalition is pleased to highlight eight western cities celebrating 40 years as a Tree City USA, recognized by the Arbor Day Foundation in honor of their commitment to effective urban forest management.
These eight western cities have been a part of the Tree City USA program since the inception of the program in 1976. Tree City USA was designed to encourage better care of the nation’s community forests by awarding recognition to communities that meet four basic standards of a good tree care program: a tree board or department, a tree-care ordinance, an annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation.
The eight western cities celebrating their 40th year as a Tree City USA include: Clay Center, KS; Dodge City, KS; Junction City, KS; Newton, KS; Auburn, NE; Grand Forks, ND; Mandan, ND and Salem, OR.
“The Western Forestry Leadership Coalition, along with state and regional foresters, applaud the efforts of the eight western cities celebrating their 40th year as a Tree City USA,” said Caitlyn Pollihan, WFLC executive director. “These communities, cities and states have clearly demonstrated their long-term commitment to urban forestry.”
Across the United States, there are 3,400 Tree City USA communities which provide more than 137 million Americans with the benefit of clean air, shaded streets, and the aesthetic beauty of healthy, well-managed urban forests. Each community will participate in a celebration to mark this special anniversary.
“Everyone benefits when elected officials, volunteers and committed citizens make smart investments in urban forests,” said Dan Lambe, president of the Arbor Day Foundation. “Trees bring shade to our homes and beauty to our neighborhoods, along with numerous economic, social and environmental benefits. We congratulate not only these original eight western Tree City USA communities celebrating 40 years but all of the other communities who value urban forestry as well.”
The Tree City USA program is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters. A complete list of Tree City USA communities and their anniversaries can be found at www.arborday.org.
To learn more about the Western Forestry Leadership Coalition, visit www.wflcweb.org. ###
About the Western Forestry Leadership Coalition
The Western Forestry Leadership Coalition (WFLC) represents a unique partnership between the Council of Western State Foresters and federal government forestry leaders. WFLC is comprised of 34 members from across the federal and state agencies of the West which include: 23 state members (also known as the Council of Western State Foresters) which include State, Territorial, and Commonwealth Foresters of the West and American-affiliated islands of the Pacific; and 11 USDA Forest Service members, which include: seven Western Regional Foresters, three Western USFS Research Station Directors, and one USFS Forest Products Lab Director.
About the Arbor Day Foundation
Founded in 1972, the Arbor Day Foundation has grown to become the largest nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees, with more than one million members, supporters, and valued partners. During the last 44 years, more than 250 million Arbor Day Foundation trees have been planted in neighborhoods, communities, cities and forests throughout the world.
Contact Information:
Western Forestry Leadership Coalition
Sara Goodwin, Communications Director
303-893-0359
sgoodwin@westernforesters.org
Arbor Day
Danny Cohn
402-473-9365
dcohn@arborday.org