Council Member dos Santos Tam presented an honorary certificate to the Outdoor Circle on Oct. 1 for the organization’s Exceptional Tree initiative and 50 years of work related to the Exceptional Tree Act.

Tam said the Outdoor Circle, founded in 1912, led advocacy that resulted in the Hawaii State Legislature’s 1975 Exceptional Tree Act (Act 105), which the council’s remarks described as protecting designated trees on public and private land from improper trimming and unnecessary removal. Tam said the law defines an exceptional tree by factors including historic or cultural value, age, rarity, location, size, aesthetic quality or endemic status.

The presentation noted there are more than 1,400 exceptional trees statewide and that private property owners are eligible for a tax deduction to offset maintenance costs. The Outdoor Circle’s Exceptional Tree initiative was described in the meeting as a volunteer-driven effort to verify protected trees, document growth and nominate additional trees for county review through arborist advisory committees and the county code process.

Winston Welch, identified in the meeting as the Outdoor Circle’s executive director, was congratulated for 10 years in the role. Council remarks invited community nominations for trees for protection and explained that county processes — nomination, arborist advisory committee review and adoption into county code — are the mechanisms by which trees are formally listed.

The item was ceremonial; no regulatory changes, votes or funding measures were taken during the presentation.