Life

Hendersonville among six cities to win Tree City Growth Award

By Lightning Reports, Published: May 2, 2021

Asheville, Montreat, Brevard, Hendersonville and Laurel Park were among the 83 North Carolina communities to earn Tree City USA designations in 2020 and Hendersonville was one of just six communities statewide to earn Tree City USA Growth Awards.

Along with the cities, 12 college and university campuses earned Tree Campus Higher Education designations and five utilities earned Tree Line USA designations for 2021, based on activities completed in 2020.

“The urban forestry achievements of our communities are deserving of recognition because the hard work and sweat equity citizens put into planting and caring for trees will ensure our neighborhoods can become even cooler, cleaner and greener in the future,” Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said.

Tree City USA, Tree Line USA and Tree Campus Higher Education recognitions are achieved by meeting similar program requirements: a tree board or department, a tree-care ordinance, an annual community forestry budget and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation. 

“In addition to our 83 Tree Cities, six communities earned Tree City USA Growth Awards,” said Jennifer Rall, an urban forestry specialist with the N.C. Forest Service. “We thank our Tree City USA communities and are proud to support their efforts. Achieving any of these significant recognitions reaffirms a community’s commitment to not just healthy urban tree canopy but also to tree preservation, increased property values, clean air and water, management of stormwater runoff, and an overall better quality of life for us and future generations.”