SALEM, Ore. — As part of Oregon Arbor Month – the celebration of trees and their benefits extended to a full month for the first time this year by Gov. Kate Brown – the Oregon Department of Forestry has created an online guide to all 69 Tree City USA communities in the state.
The storymap can be viewed here.
Kristin Ramstad, manager of the Oregon Department of Forestry’s Urban and Community Forestry Assistance Program, said the map is a way for any Oregonian to see how Tree City USA communities have strengthened their urban forestry programs.
“Each city was asked, ‘What does earning Tree City USA recognition mean to your city?’,” said Ramstad. “With this information, my colleague Katie Lompa worked with Michael Lathrop, ODF’s ArcGIS expert, to create an inspiring and engaging story, combining images, text, and an interactive Oregon map showing the location of each Tree City USA in the state.
Ramstad said the answers reveal wide recognition from small towns to large cities of the many ways in which trees enrich lives of urban Oregonians. “We hear from many of these communities how their urban forests serve as vital green infrastructure for everything from flood control and buffering of air and noise pollution to moderating urban heat. The Tree City USA program provides a framework for cities to focus their urban forestry efforts.”
The storymap also lists the number of Heritage or Peace trees the city has, with a link to that information, added Ramstad.
Besides giving the number of years a community has been recognized as a Tree City USA community, Ramstad said the storymap also indicates other recognitions from the Arbor Day Foundation. ODF administers the program in Oregon on behalf of the Foundation.
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