CORVALLIS, Ore. – The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) in partnership with Oregon Community Trees (OCT) has named Corvallis as Oregon Tree City of the Year for 2019. Each year, ODF and OCT select one of Oregon’s 66 nationally recognized Tree City USA communities statewide to award for that city’s commitment to its urban forest. Last year’s Oregon Tree City of the Year was Lake Oswego.
OCT President Samantha Wolf said the award is intended to highlight communities delivering best urban forestry practices to their residents. “People who live in Corvallis have a better quality of life because they live in a healthy urban forest. We’re acknowledging the City of Corvallis with this award for the work it does to ensure its urban forests continues to provide those benefits long into the future.”
According to ODF’s Urban and Community Forestry Assistance Program Manager Kristin Ramstad, “Corvallis exemplifies what a great Tree City USA should be. They are always innovating. They have consistently good planning and significant citizen engagement, recently launching a Neighborhood Tree Steward program. This award recognizes their many years of outstanding work to care for and promote a healthy urban forest.”
Achievements that contributed to Corvallis being named Oregon Tree City of the Year include:
Over the last two decades, Corvallis has met the Tree City USA program’s four minimum standards by:
Urban Forestry Specialist Jennifer Killian said Corvallis Parks and Recreation staff felt honored by the Oregon Tree City of the Year award. “It was incredible to be recognized for all of the hard work we did last year, particularly developing the Neighborhood Tree Steward program. This was a great team effort between our arbor crew and Neighborhood Tree Stewards. We are eager to continue cultivating a robust urban forestry program to serve our community.”
Corvallis is a Sterling Tree City USA for having earned 10 years of Tree City USA Growth Awards. Growth Awards are achieved when a Tree City USA completes additional urban forestry program activities that go beyond the basic minimum requirements of Tree City USA, an Arbor Day Foundation recognition program.
Visit www.arborday.org/programs/treecityusa/ to learn more.
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