Making sure that our towns and cities have tree-lined streets and a community forestry program is a job for each of us – each mayor, each city council member, each civic leader, and each citizen. Without a community forestry program, a plan of action for ensuring that trees are cared for and replanted in our communities, future generations will inherit treeless, unhealthy and unlivable communities.

A National Arbor Day Foundation program called Tree City USA, recognizes US. towns and cities that develop comprehensive community forestry programs. Tree City USA began as a 1976 Bicentennial project co-sponsored by the National Association of State Foresters and the USDA-Forest Service. The National League of Cities and the U.S. Conference of Mayors are now co-sponsors as well.

To become a Tree City USA, a community must meet four standards: have a tree board or department; have a community tree ordinance; develop a comprehensive community forestry program with spending of $2 per capita; and observe and proclaim Arbor Day. Following review and verification by the state forester’s office, each Tree City USA community is awarded with a walnut plaque, a Tree City USA flag, and community road signs at their Arbor Day celebration the coming year.

•There are 3,310 communities that are currently a Tree City USA.
•There are 534 communities that received a Growth Award.
•Over 120 million people live in a Tree City USA.

For more information on the Tree City USA Program visit:

Tree City USA Program