Dalton Receives Tree City USA Honor

A picture of Haig Mill Lake Park with a view of urban trees

The City of Dalton has been named a recipient of the 2021 Tree City USA designation by the Arbor Day Foundation in recognition of the city’s commitment to urban forest management. The City will celebrate the achievement Friday, February 18th when Mayor David Pennington takes part in a tree planting ceremony at the Mack Gaston Community Center in observance of Georgia’s Arbor Day celebration. The event is scheduled for 11:30 am.

Dalton achieved the Tree City USA designation by meeting the program’s four requirements: forming a tree board, creating a tree care ordinance for the city, having an annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita, and an annual Arbor Day observance and proclamation. The Tree City USA program is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation in partnership with the US Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters.

According to statistics provided by the Arbor Day Foundation, urban tree planting can help reduce energy consumption by as much as 25% which reduces costs and helps with the cooling of the city as well. Properly placed trees also benefit the community by increasing property values by as much as 20%. Trees affect the local ecosystem by helping to clean water and create animal habitats to encourage biodiversity.

Arbor Day is being celebrated nationally April 29th, however Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has declared Georgia’s Arbor Day celebration to be held February 18th. The 2022 celebration is the 150th anniversary of the first Arbor Day celebration.

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