The City of Perrysburg was recognized as a Tree City USA at the Northwest Ohio awards ceremony On Wednesday, May 11, hosted by the Villages of Arcadia and Ottawa, the City of Findlay, the University of Findlay, and their Tree Commission. This is the 38th year that the City of Perrysburg has been honored with this nationally recognized award. It is also the 24th year that the City has been honored with the Growth Award. 

Accepting the award on the City’s behalf were members of Perrysburg’s Street Tree Commission. They are pictured left to right below: Tyler Stevenson (Urban Forestry Coordinator), Jim Hagen, Christine Ardley, Mark Easterling, Scott Kirby, Kali Sawaya and Dan Balser (ODNR Division of Forestry Chief). 

   
The awards were presented to the Tree City and Tree Campus USA communities by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry. Featured speaker, Tyler Stevenson, Urban Forestry Program Coordinator with the Ohio Division of Forestry, shared happenings in public tree care programs and projections for the future. 

The title of Tree City USA was bestowed upon our community for its ongoing efforts to maintain and improve quality of life through a comprehensive tree management program. The program is guided by the Tree Commission and municipal government. Learn more about Perrysburg’s street trees. 

The Ohio DNR, Division of Forestry’s Urban Forestry Assistance Program acts as a guiding hand in helping a community to become qualified as a Tree City USA. The Regional Urban Forester recommends a community to the Arbor Day Foundation for this standing. To achieve the title and the honors, a community must meet four standards:  

• A Tree Ordinance 
• An active Tree Commission or forestry department 
• A comprehensive urban forestry program supported by a minimum of two dollars per capita 
• An annual Arbor Day proclamation and public observance 

Ohio boasts the greatest number of Tree Cities in the country and marks Ohio’s 44th consecutive year as the top Tree City USA state, according to the Ohio Division of Forestry. 52 Northwest Ohio’s communities are Tree Cities and two universities are honored as Tree Campus USAs (Ohio Northern University and the University of Findlay). All were recognized for their achievements at the awards ceremony in Findlay. 

For additional information about the Tree City USA program or the Arbor Day Foundation, visit www.arborday.org.