Cities sow green investments with ‘Tree City’ plans

The state of Alabama has 82 communities that hold the title of “Tree City USA.” These communities have a tree commission, tree care ordinance and community forestry program, invest in tree maintenance and planting, and observe Arbor Day each year. 

They’re the ones that provide a voice for their cities’ trees. “A tree’s not ever going to call the mayor’s office. The tree’s not going to do that, so we have to think about the trees,” said Dale Dickens, urban forestry coordinator for the Alabama Forestry Commission. “Being a Tree City USA ensures we think of the trees.”

Hoover, Chelsea and Birmingham are three of Alabama’s 82 “tree cities,” and have been for around 20 years. Hoover and Chelsea have received the title for 18 years, with Birmingham receiving it for 24 years.

Tree City USA is a national recognition program sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation, in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and National Association of State Foresters. The program turned 40 years old last year, Dickens said, and has a goal of not only beautifying communities, but also educating and raising awareness about the importance of trees.

Former Chelsea Mayor Earl Niven said that from the beginning, he wanted Chelsea to focus on its environment.

“We have always been concerned with Chelsea being a green city, a clean city, and we know in order to do that you have to start out by having trees because that is a beauty part of the city,” Niven said. 

The city joined the Tree City USA program in 1999 by establishing its annual Arbor Day celebration, its tree commission and creating an ordinance around tree care. Chelsea has since maintained the recognition by continuing to invest in its trees and environment, even under the new administration.

“The Tree City USA program is part of the system to say, ‘Hey trees are important. We care about our trees, and we think they should be funded,’” Dickens said. 

To maintain Tree City status, a community must spend $2 per capita on trees in a fiscal year. This funding not only supports “green infrastructure,” Dickens said, but also signals that trees are important to citizens and, therefore, state and national funds should go toward trees.

“That’s not $2 additional, and that’s not $2 that necessarily has to come out of the city coffers,” Dickens said. “That’s $2 per person that has to be used on trees within the city limits.”

Even with a population around 84,000 — and a spending requirement of around $170,000 — Hoover has no problem reaching the number, said Colin Conner, urban forester for the city of Hoover. The salaries of two full-time staffers and the cost of tree plantings, landscape rehabilitation, hazard tree removal and other projects go toward that budget.

“We’ve always managed to exceed that budget requirement,” said Conner, who started working with the city in 1998 and soon after made sure the city was involved in Tree City USA.  

Chelsea’s budget is around $20,000 per year, which goes toward city landscaping projects, as well as beautification efforts around new construction, including the Chelsea Community Center and the new location of the Chelsea Public Library, Mayor Tony Picklesimer said.

“I always want to be thrifty with all of the city’s money, so it forces me to find ways to use that money wisely, toward beautification projects,” Picklesimer said. “… We also, as part of when we’re working with businesses getting ready to build, we also put emphasis on green spaces.”

The city’s tree commission, which received four new members in January, works to recommend locations for tree plantings and helps plan annual Arbor Day events.

Tree City USA also requires an ordinance relating to tree care, which helps keep trees healthier and individuals safer, Dickens said. 

“The recognition, it makes sure people are aware and taking care of their trees — spending the minimum amount to keep people safe — and information,” Dickens said. “’Right tree in the right place’ is, in urban forestry, what you hear said a lot.”

Planting trees in the right place can help the trees be healthier and keep the surrounding area safer — the trees won’t grow into sidewalks, disrupt sewer lines or cause other issues, he said, and they will be stronger and thereby less likely to fall in the event of a storm.

Ordinances can also help cities step in, in instances of development. Chelsea and Hoover each have ordinances that require green space or landscaping in new developments, ensuring that trees are either replaced or kept intact. 

“In order to have a beautiful city with sufficient tree canopy, you have to get ahead of development,” Dickens said. “It’s extremely difficult and costly to go back and retrofit.”

While the city’s ordinance has been on the books since 1996 — three years before it became a Tree City USA — Conner said it has been strengthened over the years. By updating it, he said, the city is able to keep up with trends and ensure greenery is preserved. 

Hoover’s Tree City USA involvement isn’t widely publicized, Conner said, but trees are an important topic in the community. The conversation has grown, he added, with recent developments.

“I have heard more talk and more concern with trees and our growth than maybe I’ve heard in the past,” Conner said. 

Niven said the title of “Tree City” is something that creates a sense of civic pride, and he is glad the city’s new administration is continuing to work toward the recognition.

“I think starting out, the old-timers were the ones who recognized and were proud of [being a Tree City USA], but now I think the new people who come in recognize that we have a tradition that tries to advance the beauty of our city,” Niven said.

For more information about Tree City USA, go to arborday.com/treecityusa.