Tree City Certification

Congratulations to Columbus, Mississippi for receiving recognition as a "Tree City USA". I had never heard of this before but apparantly there are many cities in the United States that have acheived this recognition.

To qualify as a Tree City USA community, a town or city must meet four standards established by The Arbor Day Foundation and the National Association of State Foresters.

These standards were established to ensure that every qualifying community would have a viable tree management plan and program.

It is important to note that they were also designed so that no community would be excluded because of size.

1. A Tree Board or Department

2. A Tree Care Ordinance

3. A Community Forestry Program With an Annual Budget of at Least $2 Per Capita

4. An Arbor Day Observance and Proclamation

Which state has the most certified Tree Cities? Illinois of course...who would have guessed?

Now go out and plant a tree.