Our Region’s Tree Cities

Tree Cities are cities and towns that have been designated as Tree City USA’s. This program was developed by the National Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the USDA Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters. Tree City USA recognizes communities throughout the United States that have outstanding urban and community forestry programs. Currently, there are 3,310 Tree Cities around the country. Nevada has (11) Tree Cities that include Reno, Sparks, Incline Village, Gardnerville and Carson City.
Becoming a Tree City USA is not difficult. To qualify a city or town must meet four standards that were designed so that no community would be excluded because of size. The four standards that each community must meet are:
- Having a Tree Board or Department responsible for managing a community’s trees.
- A Tree Care Ordinance.
- A community forestry program with an annual budget of at least $2.00 per capita.
- An Arbor Observance and Proclamation.
Some communities may not have a dedicated tree department but they can still qualify if another department, such as Parks or Public Works, spends some of its time taking care of trees. Having a tree ordinance may be the biggest challenge for smaller communities but help is available through this Web site (link) and through the Nevada Shade Tree Council.
There are many benefits a community will realize in becoming a Tree City USA. These include public education support, enhanced public image, citizen pride, financial assistance, and publicity. Meeting the four standards for becoming a Tree City USA provides the foundation for creating a community forestry program. Applications and information for Tree City USA is available from the Nevada Division of Forestry’s Urban Forestry Coordinator at (775) 684-2506 and through the National Arbor Day Foundation.