Snoqualmie recently attained two honors by the Arbor Day Foundation – being named a “Tree City USA” for the city’s commitment to effective urban forest management, and the “Tree City USA Growth Award” for demonstrating environmental improvement and a higher level of tree care.
Snoqualmie achieved the Tree City USA distinction by meeting the program’s four requirements: a tree board or department, a tree-care ordinance, an annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita, and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation.
The Tree City USA program is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation, in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters.
Trees provide multiple benefits to a community when properly planted and maintained. They help to improve the visual appeal of a neighborhood, increase property values, reduce home cooling costs, intercept stormwater, remove air pollutants and provide wildlife habitat, among many other benefits.
“With more 1,200 acres of open space and 10,000 street and park trees, Snoqualmie has an extraordinary urban forest, comparable to that of much larger cities,” said Philip Bennett, City of Snoqualmie Urban Forester. “We are proud to receive this Tree City USA Growth Award and look forward in the coming year to working more with our partners and citizen volunteers in the Green Snoqualmie Partnership to improve the health of our forested open space.”
For more information about the Tree City Program, visit arborday.org/treecityusa.
Help Plant a Tree on Arbor Day – April 24, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Centennial Fields, 39903 SE Park Street
Snoqualmie celebrates its Tree City USA recognitions and commitment to the environment with an Arbor Day event on April 24 at Centennial Fields, and you’re invited! This event is for all ages and includes tree planting, native plant restoration, a scavenger hunt and children’s activities, and a pizza lunch. Sign up and learn more.
The Arbor Day Foundation is a million-member nonprofit conservation and education organization with the mission to inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees.
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