The Village of Ada Tree Commission was honored to accept the Tree City USA award in a ceremony on April 20. The Village has earned the Tree City Award for 35 years.
Ohio Northern University earned and accepted the Tree Campus USA for the 6th year. The ceremony was hosted by the Village of West Unity and its Tree Commission.
The awards were presented by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Forestry. The Division of Forestry acts as a guiding hand in helping communities become qualified as a Tree City USA.
In order to achieve the title and honors, a community must meet four standards:
• a tree ordinance
• an activeTree Commission
• a comprehensive urban forestry program supported by a minimum of $2 per capita
• an annual Arbor Day proclamation and public observance.
The State of Ohio currently boasts the greatest number of Tree Cities in the country with a grand total this past year of 250. This year marks Ohio’s 39th year as the top Tree City USA state, according to ODNR.
Ada also earned a Growth Award for the third year. In order to earn that title and honor, a community must have made additions or significant improvements to the tree program in the past year. To earn the award for 2015, the Ada Tree Commission hosted a public meeting to discuss the plight and future of the tree plantings in downtown Ada.
ONU is Tree Campus USA
Ohio Northern University, under the lead of Dr. Terry Keiser, earned Tree Campus USA designation by meeting five standards:
• campus tree advisory committee
• campus tree care plan
• campus tree program with dedicated annual expenditures
• Arbor Day observance; and a service learning project.
For additional information about the Tree City USA program or the Arbor Day Foundation, please visit www.arborday.org.
PHOTO
The following Ada Tre Commissioners were on hand to accept the Tree City USA Award for Ada at the Northwest Ohio Tree City USA Awards Ceremony: (front row): Dave Retterer, Beth Fenton, Angela Polachek and Don Traxler; (back row): Jim Meyer, Mike Hubbell, Norm Rex, Jamie Hall and Dick Lawrence.
