Sidney again named Tree City USA

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SIDNEY — Sidney Mayor Mike Barhorst has been advised by Arbor Day Foundation President Dan Lambe that Sidney has again earned Tree City USA recognition.

Sidney has earned Tree City USA recognition annually since 1989. The award is presented to honor the city’s commitment to urban forestry management.

In addition, Sidney also received a Tree City USA Growth Award. Growth Awards can be earned in any one of four categories. The categories include 1) education and public relations; 2) partnerships; 3) planning and management; and, 4) tree planting and maintenance.

Sidney is one of more than 3,600 entities across the country to achieve Tree City USA status. Sidney again achieved Tree City USA recognition by meeting the program’s four requirements: 1) a tree board; 2) a tree care ordinance; 3) an annual community urban forestry budget of at least $2 per resident; and, 4) an annual Arbor Day observance that includes a mayoral proclamation.

“Tree City USA communities see the positive impact of an urban forest first-hand,” Lambe wrote in the award notification letter. “The trees being planted and cared for by the city of Sidney are ensuring that generations to come will enjoy a better quality of life. Additionally, participation in this program brings residents together and helps create a sense of civic pride, whether it’s through volunteer engagement or public education.”

“If ever there was a time for trees, now is that time,” Lambe continued. “Communities worldwide are facing issues with air quality, water availability, personal health and well-being, energy use, and protection from extreme heat and flooding.”

The Arbor Day Foundation recently launched the “Time for Trees” initiative to address these issues. With an unprecedented goal of planting 100 million trees in communities and forests across the country, the Arbor Day Foundation intends to inspire 5 million people to engage in planting trees by 2022.

“Sidney’s Tree City USA recognition is an outward sign that we are dedicated to effective urban forestry management,” Barhorst stated. “I give tremendous credit to our Tree Board and their chair, Ann Asher, for their hard work in making Sidney a better place to live, work, worship and raise a family.”

“The Tree Board works hard to help manage the city’s urban forest,” Asher said. “But the real work is done by City Arborist Brian Green and the crews he manages. They truly deserve the credit for helping the City of Sidney meet the challenges of effectively managing Sidney’s urban forest.”

The Tree City USA program is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation in partnership with the United States Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters. Additional information about the program is available online at arborday.org/TreeCityUSA

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