Tree City USA
Perhaps you’ve noticed Tree City USA signs along the highway or as you pass through a neighboring community. More than 100 towns and cities in Missouri have earned a Tree City USA designation and installed signs to show this achievement. Receiving a Tree City USA certification is impressive, and people who live in these communities enjoy the tangible benefits of having a greener, healthier community.
Every community, regardless of size, can benefit from caring for their publicly owned trees and achieving Tree City USA certification. To be certified, a town or city must meet four standards established by The National Arbor Day Foundation and the National Association of State Foresters.
The four Tree City USA standards
- Tree board or department
- Tree-care ordinance
- Community forestry program with an annual budget of at least $2 per capita
- Arbor Day observance and proclamation
These standards were established to ensure that every qualifying community would have a viable tree-management plan and program. These standards were also designed so that no community would be excluded because of size. In Missouri, cities with Tree City USA certification range in population from 159 to 441,000 people.
Call your regional or community forester to find out how to participate.