This year Baker City will celebrate its 27th year of being a Tree City USA. The Tree City USA program is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the USDA Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters.
To qualify as a Tree City USA community, a town or city must meet four standards established by The Arbor Day Foundation and the National Association of State Foresters:
- A Tree Board or Department
- A Tree Ordinance
- A Community Forestry Program with an Annual Budget of at Least $2 Per Capita
- An Arbor Day Observance and Proclamation
These standards were established to ensure that every qualifying community would have a viable tree management plan and program. Cities must apply each year to maintain their Tree City USA status.
Trees are a very valuable asset to our community. Just some of the benefits trees provide include: shade, energy savings, windbreaks, reduction of storm water runoff, increased property values, safer traffic flows and numerous social benefits!
Nebraska pioneer, journalist and later secretary of the Nebraska territory, J. Sterling Morton was an advocate of trees and the many benefits trees provided. Because of Morton's efforts, the first Arbor Day celebration took place on April 10, 1872. It is estimated that more than one million trees were planted in Nebraska on that day. Other states followed Nebraska's lead in the 1870s by passing legislation to observe Arbor Day.
More information on the history of Arbor Day can be found at: http://www.arborday.org/arborday/history.cfm
Because Baker City experiences very low temperatures in the spring months, our Arbor Day celebration generally does not occur until late May or early June of each year. The Tree Board is currently beginning to discuss ideas for this year's Arbor Day celebration. Four trees were planted in public parks last year to celebrate the event. Have an Arbor Day project in mind? Please let us know!
Baker City's Tree Board is currently comprised of four volunteers. The board is tasked to study, review, evaluate and make recommendations regarding the urban forestry program. The urban forest consists of vegetation within public parks and land as well as within the public right-of-way area (which is in most cases is the "landscape strip" located between a sidewalk and street).
We are heading into the Tree Board's "busy" season and currently have a vacant position on the board. Anyone with an interest, passion or knowledge of trees is encouraged to apply! If you would like more information of what this volunteer position entails, please contact Jennifer Murphy at (541) 524-2063.