On Monday, the City of Carroll marked its 32nd consecutive year as a Tree City USA Award recipient with a proclamation from Mayor, Mark Beardmore, officially declaring April 29, 2022 as Arbor Day. The award is presented to communities that employ a city forester or active tree board, spend at least $2 per capita annually on their forestry program, and adhere to a tree planting and maintenance plan. The idea began in the early 1990s with the formation of the Carroll Trees Forever/Visioning Board, whose members have worked diligently for more than three decades to maintain and grow the local tree population. Beardmore marked the success of this endeavor by signing a proclamation during Monday’s council meeting.
Arbor Day began in Nebraska in 1872 and became a legal state holiday there in 1885. Within 40 years, nearly every U.S. state or territory celebrated Arbor Day. All 50 states now mark the holiday with many communities around the globe also participating. Beardmore encourages Carroll residents to do the same.
Seventy-three other Iowa communities were recognized as Tree City USA Award recipients, including the City of Denison and the City of Jefferson. For more information on how to support Iowa’s forests and trees, follow the link included below.
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https://www.iowadnr.gov/conservation/forestry
