Cities/Villages/Towns issued the following announcement on May 16.
Wauwatosa was named a 2021 Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation to honor its commitment to effective urban forest management. Founded in 1972, the Arbor Day Foundation is one of the world’s largest operating nonprofit conservation foundations dedicated to planting, nurturing, and celebrating trees, and the Tree City USA program is one of the Foundation’s earliest programs. Wauwatosa is part of an incredible network of more than 3,600 Tree City USA’s. We are thrilled that Wauwatosa takes pride in creating a community that places unique value on the caring of trees, and we are proud to partner with the U.S. Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters to maintain this community.
Wauwatosa achieved Tree City USA recognition by meeting the program’s four requirements: forming a tree board or department, creating a tree care ordinance, having an annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita, and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation.
“Tree City USA communities benefit from the positive effects that an urban tree canopy has year after year,” said Dan Lambe, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “The trees being planted and cared for by Wauwatosa ensure that generations to come will enjoy a better quality of life. Additionally, participation in this program helps cultivate a sense of stewardship and pride for the trees the community plants and cares for.”
Over the last few years, it has been increasingly clear of the value and importance that trees hold for our future. Wauwatosa’s dedication to urban forestry demonstrates our community’s commitment to a brighter and greener future.
Planting trees in an urban space comes with a myriad of benefits past the recognition of this program. Urban tree plantings help reduce energy consumption by up to 25%, which will reduce general energy costs and help with the overall cooling of the city as well. In addition, members of the community benefit from properly placed trees as they increase property values from 7-20%. Trees also positively affect the local ecosystem by helping to clean water and create animal habitats to encourage biodiversity.
View the Tosa Tree Dashboard and see what kind of trees are in your neighborhood and when your city tree is scheduled to be pruned. Wauwatosa has over 25,000 city trees that produce 888 tons of oxygen per year and contribute greatly to our urban forest. The city has 116 species of trees, and the goal is to continue diversifying our urban forest.
More information on the Tree City USA program is available at arborday.org/TreeCityUSA
Original source can be found here.
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