Arbor Foundation Recognizes Oak Lawn As A Tree City USA

Oak Lawn IL

17 April, 2022

9:48 PM

Description

OAK LAWN, IL — Oak Lawn was named a 2021 Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation to honor its commitment to effective urban forest management. The village achieved the prestigious recognition by meeting various stringent requirements "I take pride in being recognized as a community that places value on the planting and caring of trees," Mayor Terry Vorderer said in a news release. "We are excited to announce and celebrate our commitment to the people and trees of Oak Lawn." To achieve Tree City USA recognition, Oak Lawn met the program's four requirements: forming a tree board or department, creating a tree-care ordinance, having an annual community forestry budget 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 partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters. "Tree City USA communities benefit from the positive effects that an urban tree canopy has year after year," said Dan Lambe, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. "The trees being planted and cared for by Oak Lawn ensure that generations to come will enjoy a better quality of life. Additionally, participation in this program helps cultivate a sense of stewardship and pride for the trees the community plants and cares for." Planting trees in an urban space comes with a myriad of benefits past the recognition of this program. Urban tree plantings help reduce energy consumption by up to 25 percent, which will reduce general energy costs and help with the overall cooling of the city as well. In addition, members of the community benefit from properly placed trees as they increase property values from 7-20 percent. Trees also positively affect the local ecosystem by helping to clean water and create animal habitats to encourage biodiversity.