LOCALITIES … Many cities, communities, villages, and some university representatives sit together and listen to a guest speaker during the Tree City USA Awards Celebration held in Wauseon. (PHOTO BY JACOB KESSLER, THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
By: Jacob Kessler
The City of Wauseon hosted the Tree City USA Award ceremony this past week. On Tuesday, May 9th cities, communities, villages, and universities for the Ohio Region gathered at the Crossroads Evangelical Church on Leggett Street. The event was held from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Everyone in attendance was able to hear from guest speaker Nate Andre, who is a Dover Township resident, and has helped to shape the way Americans farm today.
Other events took place throughout the celebration including lunch and the presentation of awards.
Regional Urban Forester Stephanie Miller was one of the event organizers and gave some information about the program.
She explained that the Tree City USA program is administered by the Arbor Day Foundation and the US Forest Service with the National Association of State Foresters. Its purpose is to promote urban forest management within communities.
In Ohio, there are six regions that each hold an awards ceremony each year. It was stated that, this year, the local communities from Fulton and Williams Counties that will be receiving an award are Wauseon, Archbold, Bryan, Montpelier, Edgerton, and West Unity.
“It is a good day to recognize the volunteer tree commissioners, staff and officials that do all the hard work needed throughout the year,” stated Miller.
To be a Tree City, the location has to have a functioning tree commission and is active, have an advisory committee to the community, have ordinances for trees, spend at least $2 per capita on their urban forestry program, hold a public Arbor Day celebration and receive a mayoral proclamation.
Jacob can be reached at jacob@thevillagereporter.com