Tree City USA, a program of the national Arbor Day Foundation, requires a city to: (1) establish a tree board or department; (2) pass an ordinance on tree care; (3) establish an annual tree budget of at least $2 per resident; (4) plan an annual Arbor Day celebration. 140 cities in MN are certified as a Tree City.
See the Minnesota Department of Natural Resource's Arbor Month campaign materials for help in an Arbor Day Celebration event.
Certified for current year.
Certified for 30 or more years, or recent recipient of a Growth award.
Certified for at least 10 years with an annual tree budget (for maintenance, planting, replacements, removals) of at least $8 per resident (4X the Tree City requirement); calculate and publicize the financial and other benefits of trees to your city; earn the Arbor Day Foundation's Growth Award for ten years (recognition as a Sterling Tree City USA).
Who's doing it
Albert Lea - 3 star
Date action report first entered:
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Albert Lea has been a certified Tree City USA community for 22 years. The 2016 tree budget averages $8.45 per resident.
The City of Fergus Falls was the first city in Minnesota to be recognized as a Tree City, USA. We were awarded this designation in 1978 and have been annually recognized for this honor the past 37 years.
In 2009, Hopkins was named a Tree City USA for the 30th time. Hopkins meets the four standards to become a Tree City USA by having a tree board or department, a tree care ordinance, a comprehensive community forestry program, and an Arbor Day observance.
Hopkins have been certified as a Tree City USA for at least 10 years.We did not apply for Tree City status in 2011 so are not currently listed as such. Our 2012 forestry budget is $210,000 which is much greater than $4/resident.
The City of Hutchinson has been certified as a Tree City USA for 36 consecutive years, beginning in 1979. That makes Hutchinson the 2nd longest consecutive award winner in Minnesota!
Hutchinson has an excellent forestry program that serves both boulevard and privately owned trees. It promotes tree planting activities, tree sales, education events, and partners with the local utility to promote energy conservation through proper tree species selection and placement guidance. In 2015, the forestry program budget was $159,490, averaging approximately $11.5/resident.
The city has been certified as a Tree City USA since 1995. The city is on schedule to meet the requirement of 30 years of certification in 2025.
The city has had a tree budget of at least $4 per resident for at least 10 years.
Saint Paul has been a certified as a Tree City USA for 33 years. The Forestry Unit of Parks and Recreation is responsible for over 500,000 public property trees throughout the city, 130,000 on street rights-of-way alone. As part of this responsibility, Forestry deals with all boulevard and park tree inventory, planting, maintenance and removal, trimming, storm clean up, wood recycling, disease monitoring, education and outreach.
The City of Arlington has an excellent forestry program that serves both boulevard and privately owned trees. It promotes tree planting activities, education events, and partners with our forester to promote energy conservation through proper tree species selection and placement guidance.
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
For eight consecutive years, the City of Arlington has been recognized by the Arbor Day Foundation as “Tree City USA”. The City was also awarded the "Growth" award in 2015 and 2016 for “new or significantly improved activities” relating to its Tree City/Arbor activities.
Bloomington been designated a Tree City since 1986, 2017 will be our 31st year and we have received the growth award twice. Arborday is celebrated each spring with tree sale for residents.
The City of Coon Rapids has successfully qualified for the National Tree City USA award for over 40 consecutive years. Coon Rapids has met the following four criteria to become a Tree City USA community: a legally constituted tree body, a community tree ordinance, an active comprehensive community forestry program supported by a minimum of $2.00 per capita, and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation. The City of Coon Rapids has met and often exceeded the criteria to qualify for the Tree City USA program since 1975.
2018 will be the City's 30th year as a Tree City USA. The City's Forestry program is funded through an enterprise fund and every household pays $4.18/month. The 2018 dedicated budget for Forestry is $880,000.
City of Mounds View has been a certified 30 year Tree City, the current 2017 Forestry budget is $43,300. In addition, there is a citizen's commission, Parks, Recreation and Forestry Commission that addresses urban forestry within the City of Mounds View.
New Brighton has been a Tree City for over 34 years. A proclamation was just published and read aloud in the City Council chambers - STATING THAT THE CITY OF NEW BRIGHTON HEREBY DECLARES ARBOR DAY AS APRIL 29, 2016 AND ARBOR MONTH AS MAY, 2016 IN THE CITY OF NEW BRIGHTON.
WHEREAS the City of New Brighton has been recognized by the National Arbor Day Foundation as a Tree City USA for 34 consecutive years, and
WHEREAS the health of the people is tied to the health of their forests; and
WHEREAS trees and forests improve our physical health by cleaning the air, reducing exposure to the sun’s UV rays, and decreasing temperatures during the summertime; and
WHEREAS In 50 years, one tree provides $62,000 worth of air pollution control; and
WHEREAS Childhood asthma rates are lower in urban communities that have a higher density of trees; and
WHEREAS Trees and forests improve our mental health by reducing stress and increasing concentration; and
WHEREAS Forests create high-quality drinking water by acting as a natural filter; and
WHEREAS Getting a daily dose of trees is healthy for all Minnesotans; and
WHEREAS Each year, on the last Friday in April, and throughout the month of May, Minnesotans pay special tribute to rural and community trees and all the natural resources, and dedicate themselves to the continued vitality of our state’s forests.
St. Cloud boasts a forestry program responsible for all tree-related issues including maintenance, management of a nursery, planting, and the processing of tree waste. As such, the National Arbor Day Foundation has recongnized St. Cloud as "Tree City USA" for 31 consecutive years and reveived Tree City USA Growth Awards for three separate years since 2004.
Sunfish Lake certifies each year as a Tree City USA and 2016 was the 27th year that the City was certified. The City Forester uses the reapplication process each December to document tree care and forestry activities of the past year and develop Forestry Department plans for the next year.
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
The recording and planning process each year leads to a more consistent forestry program with a longer term outlook.
The city of Chanhassen has been a Tree City USA since 1994.
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By participating in the Tree City USA program, the city annually audits its forestry accomplishments and expenditures. As the city has grown, so too has the impact of the city's commitment to the urban forest.
Columbia Heights has met the requirements for a designated "Tree City" USA for the last 22 years. In addition, the Mayor and Council declare May as Arbor Month for the City and encourages additional tree plantings.
The City of Dodge Center was certifed as a Tree City in 2020.
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
The City of Dodge Center became a Tree City and is actively working to create a tree planting program to have more trees planted in resident's yards and in the boulevard.
The City of Dodge Center was certifed as a Tree City in 2020.
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
The City of Dodge Center became a Tree City and is actively working to create a tree planting program to have more trees planted in resident's yards and in the boulevard.
The City of Edina has been a Tree City USA in past years and is in the process of reapplying for the designation. The City Forester expects to be qualified again in Spring 2012.
Mankato has been recognized as a Tree City USA. The urban forest planning plays a major role in developing the character of a city and extends the value aesthetically, environmentally and economically.
The City of Marshall has been recognized as a 2014 Tree City USA. This is a national recognition program of the Arbor Day Foundation that awards communities that meet the four core standards of urban forestry management. These standards are: maintaining a tree board or department, having a tree ordinance, spending at least $2 per capita on urban forestry and the celebration of Arbor Day.
Tree Board or Department:
Glenn Olson, the Director of Public Works and Zoning Administrator, serves as this position for the City of Marshall.
Tree Ordinance: A tree ordinance was established in Marshall on November 11, 1997. It can be found in Chapter 82 –Vegetation, Sections 82-1 and 82:21-33.
Tree Expenses: The population of Marshall is 13,700 and in 2014, the total forestry expenditure was $104,980. The expenses per capita were $7.66.
Arbor Day Celebration: Mayor Robert Byrnes proclaimed May 1, 2014 as Arbor Day. As an Arbor Day celebration, Marshall High School students planted trees near the athletic fields on school grounds.
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The Tree City USA award was presented to the City of Marshall at a City Council meeting on May 12, 2015.
High school students planted dozens of new trees near the school on May 5, 2015 which was part of the Arbor Day celebration.
The City of Minnetonka was first designated as a Tree City USA in 1994. Available on the city website and annually in the Minnetonka Memo is information on city involvement and benefits of forestry on our community.
2011 marks Oakdale's sixteenth year of being designated a Tree City USA. The National Arbor Day Foundation bestows this honor to forward thinking, environmentally conscious cities that have established programs for planting and maintaining trees. Each year the city submits a report detailing our expenditures related to planting and maintaining trees.
The city of Royalton is in its 11th year as a Tree City USA city. Our Tree Board does an excellent job of planting and maintaining the trees in our city.
Two Harbors has been certified annually as a Tree City USA Community since 2015. The city was certified as a Tree City USA in 2013, but did not renew the certification in 2014 but we've continually been enrolled since 2015.
Tree City USA, sponsored by The National Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the USDA Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters, provides direction, technical assistance, public attention, and national recognition for urban and community forestry programs in thousands of towns and cities that more than 93 million Americans call home.
Willmar has been a Tree City USA for more than 13 years.