Mount Vernon a Tree City USA for 28th Straight Year

Also Receives Growth Award from Arbor Day Foundation for 6th Year in a Row
MOUNT VERNON – For nearly three decades now, the City of Mount Vernon has been lauded for preserving its tree canopy for future generations. In recognition of these continuing efforts, the Arbor Day Foundation has named Mount Vernon a Tree City USA for 2020. The City has received this designation every year since 1993. In addition, Mount Vernon has been named a recipient of a Tree City USA Growth Award for a sixth year.
The Tree City USA program was created in 1976, and is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Conference of Mayors, National League of Cities and the National Association of State Foresters. To earn a Tree City USA designation, a community must meet four criteria – a tree board or department; a tree care ordinance; a community forestry program with an annual budget of at least $2 per capita; and an Arbor Day proclamation and observance.
“The Tree City USA Growth Award program provides the next steps by recognizing communities where tree care programs have significantly improved and by encouraging growth and development in others,” said James Brown, chairman of the City’s Shade Tree and Beautification Commission. “The criteria for receiving a Tree City USA Growth Award provides an excellent checklist for planning the future of any community’s forestry program.”
Through its Time for Trees initiative, the Arbor Day Foundation aims to have 100 million trees planted in forests and communities by 2022. Urban forest management will play a big part in meeting that goal.
“Trees don’t just visually improve a community, they can also raise property values and lower a home’s cooling costs,” Mayor Matt Starr said. “But more importantly, trees planted today will beautify our City for several years to come. They are a major investment in our future.”
For the 38th consecutive year, Ohio leads the nation with 242 Tree City USA cities, villages and townships. For more information on the program, visit arborday.org/TreeCityUSA.