PENDLETON — The Town of Pendleton was named a 2018 Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation in honor of its commitment to effective urban forest management.
The town also received a Tree City USA Growth Award for demonstrating environmental improvement and a higher level of tree care.
Pendleton 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.
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 see the impact an urban forest has in a community first hand,” Arbor Day Foundation President Dan Lambe said in a press release. “Additionally, recognition brings residents together and creates a sense of community pride, whether it’s through volunteer engagement or public education.”
According to the foundation, trees provide multiple benefits to a community when properly planted and maintained. They help to improve the visual appeal of a neighborhood, increase property values, reduce home cooling costs, remove air pollutants, provide wildlife habitat and more.
More information on the program is available at arborday.org/TreeCityUSA.
The foundation is a million-member nonprofit conservation and education organization with the mission to inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees. More information can be found at arborday.org.
