WEST CARROLLTON — Officials from the city of Sidney joined their counterparts from forty other communities for the annual Tree City USA Awards Program Friday morning, April 22. Representing Sidney were Mayor Mike Barhorst, Tree Board Member Warren Koogler and Street Superintendent Brian Green. This year’s program was hosted by the city of West Carrollton.
West Carrollton Deputy Mayor Rick Barnhart welcomed the nearly 200 in attendance. The fourth grade bell choir from Harry Russell Elementary School provided entertainment. The buffet luncheon was catered by El Meson Restaurante.
Eric Sauer, park planning manager for Five Rivers MetroParks was the keynote speaker. Sauer spoke on the Real Value of Trees in the Urban Landscape.
“Street trees provide noise reduction, reduce carbon dioxide, produce oxygen, add value to adjacent homes and businesses, reduce blood pressure, reduce road rage, lower urban temperatures, increase pavement life – there are more than twenty ways trees benefit us,” Sauer said.
Sauer also discussed the role that different trees can play, and species that should never be planted because of their invasive nature.
“Bradford pear, for one, is an ornamental tree that has become invasive and chokes out native species in natural areas and parks. In fact, Callery pear cultivars of every variety should never be planted,” Sauer said.
Following his presentation, Ohio Department of Natural Resources Urban Forester Wendi Van Buren presented Tree City USA awards. Communities receiving awards, and the number of years they’ve received the awards, included Harrison (1); Vandalia and Greenfield (2); Morrow (3); Woodlawn (5); Anderson Township (7); Columbia Township (8); Silverton and Middletown (9); Ripley (10); Williamsburg and Milford (11); Hamilton and Amberley (12); New Richmond (13); Mason (17); Versailles and Miamisburg (18); Wright Patterson Air Force Base (19); Springboro, Oxford, Montgomery and Glendale (20); Fairfield and Piqua (21); Wyoming (22); Springdale (24); Lebanon, Mariemont and Dayton (25); Forest Park (26); West Carrollton and Sidney (27); Lockland (29); Troy and Centerville (30); Terrace Park and Greenhills (31); Tipp City (32); Kettering (33); Oakwood (34); and Cincinnati (35).
Van Buren also presented Pioneer Rural Electric Cooperative with the 2015 Tree Line USA Award. Pioneer has received the award for fourteen years.
“More than 3,400 communities have made the commitment to becoming a Tree City USA,” Van Buren stated. “They have achieved Tree City USA status by meeting the four core standards of sound urban forestry management: maintaining a tree board; having a community tree ordinance; spending at least $2 per capita on urban forestry; and, celebrating Arbor Day including a Mayor’s Proclamation.”
“The City of Sidney has been a Tree City USA since 1989,” Mayor Mike Barhorst stated. “We are proud of our beautiful tree-lined streets and our tree-filled parks. I am hopeful that in coming years, we can devote resources to replacing some of the 1,600 trees that we have had to cut down since 2008.”
Amy Brewer, the mayor of Lebanon, Ohio thanked West Carrollton for hosting the 2016 Southwest Ohio Tree City USA Awards Program. Brewer then invited those in attendance to attend next year’s program, scheduled to be held in Lebanon on April 21.
