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Pasco County proclaims Arbor Day, adopts human-trafficking prevention month; boosts tree giveaway funding
Summary
The county adopted two resolutions — declaring Jan. 17, 2025 Arbor Day in Pasco County and recognizing January as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month — and approved a small additional funding allocation to expand a county tree giveaway.
The Pasco County Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday adopted two resolutions: one declaring Jan. 17, 2025, as Arbor Day in Pasco County and another designating January 2025 as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month in the county.
Resolution 25-095, declaring Arbor Day, highlights partnerships among Keep Pasco Beautiful, the Florida Forest Service and UF/IFAS Extension and announced native-tree giveaways and a tree-planting workshop on Jan. 17, with events in east and west Pasco County. Liza (last name not specified), coordinator for Keep Pasco Beautiful, and Mike Woodard, Pasco County arborist, described two species to be distributed: the fringe tree and the firebush, both native and suitable as pollinator host plants for home landscapes. The board also approved a motion to add about $3,000 to the tree giveaway allocation to increase the number of trees distributed countywide.
Resolution 25-094 recognizes January as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month and Jan. 11 as National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. Commissioner Yeager sponsored the resolution and thanked members of the Pasco County Commission on Human Trafficking. Laura Henderson, identified as a lived-experience expert and survivor representative on the commission, and Leanna Dean, chair of the commission, spoke to the board about survivor-led work, education and local prevention efforts. Henderson said the commission's work depends on community support and survivor voices: "The survivor's voice is the most important one."
Both resolutions passed by voice vote. Commissioners and staff thanked nonprofit and volunteer partners for their work: Keep Pasco Beautiful leaders described distribution logistics, and the Area Agency on Aging noted a private $5,000 donation from Commissioner Oakley to its unmet-needs fund.
Votes at a glance: RS 25-095 (Arbor Day) — approved by voice vote; board approved an additional ~$3,000 allocation to increase trees available. RS 25-094 (Human Trafficking Prevention Month) — approved by voice vote.
Ending: County staff provided event details for the tree giveaway and said they will post registration information online; human-trafficking commissioners asked the public to support awareness, prevention and survivor-informed programs.
