The City of East Grand Rapids has again received Tree City USA designation from the Arbor Day Foundation for its care and maintenance of city trees.
This is the ninth year the City of East Grand Rapids has received the Tree City USA designation.
Tree City USA is a program of the Arbor Day Foundation that provides resources for communities to maintain and expand their public trees. A community achieves Tree City USA designation by having a tree board or department, community tree ordinance and annual Arbor Day celebration and by spending at least $2 per capita on urban forestry activities. Arbor Day is an annual day of observance typically held in the spring to celebrate trees and encourage tree planting.
“This Tree City USA honor exemplifies the City’s ongoing commitment to East Grand Rapids being a green, healthy and beautiful place to live,” East Grand Rapids Mayor Katie Favale said. “We are proud to maintain our urban canopy for all to enjoy – and we thank the Arbor Day Foundation for recognizing this important work.”
In 2016, the City of East Grand Rapids completed a tree inventory and risk assessment of its 7,200 trees in the public right of way and developed a preventative maintenance plan for the tree canopy. Ongoing tree maintenance and treatment of diseased trees take place each year.
To promote tree planting, the City also offers an annual tree planting program to residents who want a tree added to the area between the sidewalk outside their home and the street. The cost for each tree is evenly shared between the homeowner and the City. Plantings generally take place in the fall and early winter.
“The East Grand Rapids Public Works Department works year-round to maintain the community’s public trees,” said Doug LaFave, deputy city manager who oversees the City’s forestry division. “We plant new trees in the fall, prune in the winter and implement other maintenance operations throughout the spring and summer.
“By caring for our public trees and offering a planting program, the City uniquely engages residents in its mission to care for our urban canopy.”
For more information about the City’s tree maintenance and tree planting programs, visit eastgr.org/225/Forestry.
East Grand Rapids is one of nearly 130 communities in Michigan and among 3,600 nationally to earn the Tree City USA designation for 2022. The Tree City USA program is co-sponsored by the U.S. Forest Service and National Association of State Foresters. For more information about the program, visit arborday.org/TreeCityUSA.