Salem Named A 'Tree City USA' Community

Salem MA

07 May, 2021

11:43 AM

Description

SALEM, MA — Salem's tradition of embracing trees in an urban setting was celebrated for the 20th year with the Arbor Day Foundation naming it a 2020 Tree City USA community. The recognition is based on the city's commitment to increasing and maintaining its tree population. "Salem is committed to our public trees as a critical part of our climate change mitigation strategy, our beautification efforts, and our historic legacy as a green city," Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll said. "I am so grateful to the work our tree commission, our tree department, and the many community partners and volunteers who make this important work — and the continuation of our Tree City USA designation — all possible." The Arbor Day Foundation — the nation's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to planting trees — is responsible for the designation. The Arbor Day Foundation is a nonprofit, environmental and educational organization of more than 1 million members, with a mission to inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees. "Tree City USA communities see the impact an urban forest has in a community firsthand," said Dan Lambe, president of the Arbor Day Foundation. "The trees being planted and cared for by Salem are ensuring that generations to come will enjoy a better quality of life. "Additionally, participation in this program brings residents together and creates a sense of civic pride, whether it's through volunteer engagement or public education." Tree City USA communities must have a tree board or department, a tree-care ordinance, a community forestry program with annual expenditures of at least $2 per capita and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation. The Tree City USA program is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the National Association of State Foresters and the USDA Forest Service. Did you find this article useful? Invite a friend to subscribe to Patch. (Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at [email protected]. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)