By Abby Krause, DNR Urban Forestry Coordinator; Abigail.Krause@wisconsin.gov or 608-556-5690

Tree City USA is an annual recognition program presented by the Arbor Day Foundation that allows communities to publicly demonstrate their continued commitment to the care of their local urban forest. Returning Tree City USA communities are also eligible to apply for Growth Awards. These awards recognize community forestry programs that go above and beyond the four core tenets of Tree City USA.

Wisconsin has consistently proven to be a national leader in the stewardship of the forests outside our front doors all across the state. In 2023, we saw participation from Milwaukee, our state’s most populous city, down to Ephraim, a village of only a few hundred residents. We ranked third nationally in both programs with 194 Tree City USA communities and 26 Growth Awards. Only Ohio and Illinois ranked higher.

You can check out more stats and an interactive map for all the recognition programs on the new reporting dashboard located on the Arbor Day Foundation website.

Besides bragging rights over our fellow Midwestern states, I encourage all our Tree City USA communities to consider applying to a Growth Award this year on the simple principle that the required work has likely already been done and you deserve the recognition for your efforts. People love to live in a community that takes pride in itself, so let folks know about the good things you’ve been up to.

Growth Awards are designed to celebrate both major management milestones and dedication to smaller annual activities that grow forestry programs over time.

Communities earn Growth Awards by completing approved activities for a combined total of at least 10 points. With 87 activities of varying point values the process is less burdensome than it may first appear and is drastically shorter than the Tree City USA application. A full description of eligible activities can be found online, but listed below are some common routes communities have taken to earn Growth Awards.

Major Milestones

• (10 pts) Community completed a detailed street and/or park inventory
• (10 pts) Community completed an urban forestry management plan for the first time
• (10 pts) Community established a tree board by ordinance
• (10 pts) Community hired a professional forester for the first time
• (8 pts) Community officially adopted a canopy cover goal for the first time
• (5 pts) Staff added professional credentials, such as those offered through ISA and TCIA
• (4 pts) Forestry budget approved for an increase over the trailing three-year average

Annual Activities

• (5 pts) Systemic maintenance was performed on 10% or more of public trees
• (3 pts) Part of the public tree inventory was updated during the year
• (3 pts) Staff or tree board members earned at least 10 CEUs at educational events and trainings
• (3 pts) Two or more applications for grant funding were submitted, not necessarily awarded
• (3 pts) Annual workplan with targets for tree maintenance on public property was created
• (3 pts) New or updated informational materials were distributed to the public
• (3 pts) More trees were planted on public property than were removed
• (3 pts) Restoration work was conducted on public natural areas
• (2 pts) New trees were planted by the municipality or a partner
• (2 pts) New tree board member was added