Watkinsville Named a 'Tree City USA' for 6th Year in a Row

_For the 6th consecutive year, Watkinsville has been named a "Tree City USA."

The Tree City USA program is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation and the Georgia Forestry Commission.

"We're proud to be a Tree City," Councilwoman Samantha Purcell said at a recent council meeting. "Even though we've had drought, we continue to try to plant trees.  This year we're going to wait until the fall to plant trees [to replace those] that died on Ga. Highway 15."

Cities of any size that meet the following criteria outlined on the Georgia Forestry Commission's website qualify to earn the distinction:

• Standard 1: A Tree Board or Department

A tree board is a group of concerned citizens, usually volunteer, charged by ordinance to develop and administer a comprehensive city tree management program. 

• Standard 2: A City Tree Ordinance

The ordinance should be formulated by the tree board or department, and should determine public tree-care policies for planting, maintenance, and removals.

• Standard 3: A Community Forestry Program with an Annual Budget of at Least $2/Capita

To be named as a Tree City USA, a town or city must annually spend at least $2 per capita for its community forestry program.

• Standard 4: An Arbor Day Observance and Proclamation

The mayor of your community must issue a proclamation declaring the observance of Arbor Day in your community, and an Arbor Day celebration must take place.

To celebrate Arbor Day, the city gave awayand tree whips the week of April 13-17.

"It's fun to go around town and see that the trees that people have planted are growing," Purcell said.

The Arbor Day Foundation gifted the city a plaque and banner, and supplied educational materials including posters and tree identification books that will be distributed to schools.