Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Urban Forestry topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
De Witt tree committee celebrates Tree City USA status, eyes Growth Award after 5,000-seedling giveaway
Summary
De Witt's tree committee reported the town regained Tree City USA recognition for 2024, reviewed the four Tree City requirements, and said volunteers distributed roughly 5,000 tree seedlings at Maxwell Park. The committee said it will aim for the Arbor Day Foundation Growth Award next year.
The Tree Committee reported that the town regained Tree City USA recognition for 2024 and is aiming for the Arbor Day Foundation Growth Award next year.
The Tree Committee member (presenter) told the De Witt Advisory Committee that the presenter and other committee members attended an Arbor Day Foundation awards lunch in Syracuse where municipalities and college campuses were recognized. “Dave Frost talked about the tree giveaway, the seedling giveaway that we did at Maxwell Park last April where we gave away about 5,000 seedlings in an afternoon,” the presenter said.
The presenter summarized the four requirements for Tree City USA recognition from the Arbor Day Foundation: maintaining a tree board, adopting a tree care ordinance, spending at least $2 per capita annually on trees and tree-related expenses, and celebrating Arbor Day. The presenter said the town met three of the requirements in 2023 but missed the Arbor Day celebration requirement that year and has since restored compliance.
On the ordinance requirement, the presenter said the town’s existing code already contains provisions addressing tree care, removal from rights-of-way and maintenance responsibilities. The presenter added that the Arbor Day Foundation’s standards do not prescribe a native-species requirement at the national level: “The standards in terms of natives really comes from here,” a committee member said, referring to state-level or local guidance rather than the national Arbor Day standards.
Committee members noted the $2-per-capita spending requirement using the town population figure discussed during the meeting (about 26,000 residents) as the basis for annual budget calculations. The presenter also said the committee hopes to pursue the Growth Award next year, which requires meeting additional criteria beyond the four basic standards.
The committee did not propose any formal changes to town code at the meeting; discussion focused on outreach, compliance with Arbor Day requirements, and applying for higher-level recognition from the Arbor Day Foundation.
The committee also referenced past and planned volunteer tree-related activities and grant opportunities that recognition can help unlock.
