For Immediate Release: 4/27/2017 8:14 am
Worcester, MA (April 27, 2017) - For the 31st consecutive year, the City of Worcester has been named a Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation in honor of its commitment to effective urban forest management.
"Trees have always been important to the people of Worcester, but after what our community has been through in our fight against the Asian Longhorned Beetle, I think we cherish them a little bit more," said City Manager Edward M. Augustus, Jr. "The City is proud to again be recognized by the Arbor Day Foundation for our longstanding commitment to our urban forest."
Worcester's annual Arbor Day celebration will be held at 11:00 AM Friday, April 28th, at Green Hill Park.
District 1 City Councilor Tony Economou, State Rep. James J. O'Day, City Manager Augustus, along with members of the Department of Conservation and Recreation, U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Worcester Tree Initiative, National Grid, Tower Hill Botanic Garden will mark the occasion by planting trees in the park's WWI Memorial Grove.
Worcester achieved Tree City USA recognition by meeting the program's four requirements: 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.
Tree Cities are cities that show exemplary commitments to their urban forest and must reapply to The Arbor Day Foundation every year for this designation. The Tree City USA program has existed for 40 years, and Worcester was one of the first cities to be accepted as a tree city. Very few communities in the country have more years in the Tree City USA program, giving Worcester a distinguished place among these high achieving cities and towns.
More information on the program is available at arborday.org/TreeCityUSA.
"Tree City USA communities see the impact an urban forest has in a community first hand," said Dan Lambe, President of the Arbor Day Foundation. "Additionally, recognition brings residents together and creates a sense of community pride, whether it's through volunteer engagement or public education."
