(Dublin, OH) — As Arbor Day grows closer, the City of Dublin is honored to receive both the Tree City USA and Tree Cities of the World designations from the Arbor Day Foundation.
The City of Dublin is home to more than 60 parks, 30,000 street trees and even more opportunities to connect with nature. Of those 30,000 street trees, 449 were planted in 2020. With all that activity, the Arbor Day Foundation has named Dublin a Tree City USA for the 34th consecutive year and a Tree Cities of the World for the second year in row. Additionally, the community also received a Tree City USA Growth Award for demonstrating environmental improvement and higher level of tree care.
“The City is proud to be recognized as part of the Tree Cities of the World,” Director of Parks & Recreation Matt Earman said. “This designation highlights the variety of forest inventories we have to offer Dublin residents and visitors. And to top it off, Dublin continues to be named a Tree City USA since the late 1980s.”
The Tree City USA program is a nationwide movement that provides the framework necessary for communities to manage and expand their public trees. The Tree Cities of the World program is an international effort to recognize cities and towns committed to ensuring that their urban forests and trees are properly maintained, sustainably managed and duly celebrated.
Dublin achieved Tree City USA recognition by meeting the program’s four requirements: a tree board or department, a tree-care ordinance, an annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation.
Recognized for the second year in a row as one of the Tree Cities of the World, the City of Dublin met the five core standards including establishing who is responsible for the care of the trees, setting rules and best practices for tree care, maintaining an updated inventory of the local tree resources, budgeting for routine tree care as well as holding an annual tree celebration for the community.
While the City of Dublin is one of 242 Tree City USA communities in Ohio, Dublin is one of only three Ohio cities recognized with the Tree Cities of the World title. The Arbor Day Foundation recognizes Dublin along with Westerville and Springfield, Ohio, as Tree Cities of the World.
“Tree City USA communities see the positive effects of an urban forest firsthand,” president of the Arbor Day Foundation Dan Lambe said. “The trees being planted and cared for by Dublin are ensuring that generations to come will enjoy to 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.”
Dublin has a long-held tradition of preserving its natural environment. In 1981, while still a village, Dublin became the first municipality in the state to adopt a comprehensive landscape code. That code is complemented by the City’s greenspace ordinance, which requires developers to set aside land for neighborhood parks.
In response to the coronavirus pandemic, the City of Dublin is not planning large, in-person Earth Day projects this year. However, the City encourages its residents and business community to plant a tree in honor of Arbor Day, April 30. For more ways to celebrate the planet for Earth Month, visit DublinOhioUSA.gov/EarthMonth.
To learn more about the Tree City USA/Tree Cities of the World programs, visit ArborDay.org/TreeCityUSA and TreeCitiesoftheWorld.org. If you have any questions about how to take care of the trees in your backyard, visit visit DublinOhioUSA.gov/Forestry or feel free to reach out to the City of Dublin’s Foresters at 614.410.4701. It certainly is greener in Dublin!
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Media Contact:
Shirley Blaine
Public Information Officer
614.230.4683 – Cell
614.410.4523 – Desk
sblaine@dublin.oh.us
Newsroom: http://dublinohiousa.gov/newsroom/