Tree City USA

What is Tree City USA?

Tree City USA is a program sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the USDA Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters. This program provides technical assistance, direction, public attention, and national recognition for urban and community forestry programs.

There are thousands of Tree City USA communities across the United States. These are communities, large and small, that have made the commitment to invest in their trees, and they are reaping the benefits of the program by fulfilling the four standards set by Tree City USA.

Every community, large and small, benefits in different ways from being a Tree City USA. These benefits include Framework for Action, Education, Public Image, Citizen Pride, Financial Assistance, and Publicity. Reports of these benefits have reached the National Arbor Day Foundation through the years.

To qualify for Tree City USA, a town or city must meet four standards established by The Arbor Day Foundation and the National Association of State Foresters. These standards were established to ensure that every qualifying community would have a viable tree management plan program. It is important to note that they were also designed so that no community would be excluded because of size. The four standards are:

1. A Tree Board or Department
2. A Tree Care Ordinance 
3. An Arbor Day Observance and Proclamation
4. A Community Forestry Program with an Annual Budget of at least $2 Per Capita

For more information, please visit The Arbor Day Foundation's website: www.arborday.org.