Wake Forest earns Tree City & Tree Line USA Awards

Wednesday, March 10, 2021 - 10:54am

The Town of Wake Forest has been named a 2020 Tree City USA and Tree Line USA award winner. This marks the 42nd year Wake Forest has earned the Tree City USA designation and the seventh year it has been recognized as a Tree Line USA.

The Tree City USA and Tree Line USA programs are a partnership between the NC Forest Service and the National Arbor Day Foundation. Awards are presented annually to communities and utilities that demonstrate a commitment to making their communities more livable by planting and caring for trees.

The Tree City and Tree Line USA programs encourage management of urban trees for a healthy, sustainable urban forest. The additional goal of dependable utility service further highlights the need to include several key utility practices to ensure the continuation of abundant, healthy trees in proximity to utility service lines.

In 2020, Wake Forest accomplished several required criteria for these two awards:

  1. Management: Wake Forest has a tree ordinance, tree board or department, and an annual tree budget of at least $2 per capita. Wake Forest Power works with the Town to provide proper tree care throughout public and utility areas, while keeping the health of the trees in mind.

  2. Education: Learning opportunities have been provided to both the public and utility workers on topics ranging from tree planting and maintenance for energy conservation, to utility worker safety when maintaining tree clearance.

  3. An annual Arbor Day observance and proclamation to celebrate trees and the many benefits they provide.

For a community forestry program to be effective, it takes support and commitment from the entire community. In Wake Forest, the community forestry program thrives because of the combined dedication of Urban Forestry Board members, Town staff, Town Board, business community, homeowners and all residents who take pride in the quality of life in Wake Forest. This recognition serves not only as an award to the conscientious employees who make it possible, it also makes a statement to the community at large about cooperation, goodwill, and the need for continuous and proper tree care.

For more information on Wake Forest’s urban forestry program, contact Urban Forestry Coordinator Luke Devores at 919-435-9565 or ldevores@wakeforestnc.gov.