El Cerrito El Cerrito Celebrates Arbor Week

From the City of El Cerrito:

March 4, 2020

El Cerrito, Calif: The City celebrates California Arbor Week March 7-14, with its first-ever Tree City USA flag raising ceremony followed by a public tree planting. The event will begin at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, March 7, 2020 at El Cerrito City Hall Plaza (10890 San Pablo Ave).

This past year, the El Cerrito City Council adopted a Public Tree and Shrub Ordinance to protect public trees; set guidelines for planting, pruning, and removal; and define the elements of the City’s Urban Forestry program. The creation and adoption of the ordinance was a culmination of efforts by the City’s Urban Forest Committee and City staff over the last 3 years to clarify issues and add protections for City trees. As a result of these efforts, the City of El Cerrito achieved recognition from the Arbor Day Foundation as a Tree City USA in January 2020. The four standards for Tree City USA recognition are for a City to have a tree board or department, a tree care ordinance, a community forestry program with an annual budget of at least $2 per capita, and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation. The City joins a nationwide network of more than 3,500 other communities that have made these same commitments.

Other El Cerrito Arbor Week events include an Arbor Day tree planting with school children and a public workshop on small tree training and maintenance on March 15. Advanced registration for the Tree Care Workshop is required; register at www.el-cerrito.org/treecare .

For more workshop information, contact spree@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us and sign up for the City’s monthly “Green Happenings” e-newsletter at el-cerrito.org/greenhappenings to learn more about El Cerrito’s green community.

ABOUT THE CITY OF EL CERRITO: Located near the east shore of the San Francisco Bay, the City of El Cerrito is an ethnically diverse community offering a high quality of life within one of the nation’s most sophisticated and beautiful living areas. With a population of almost 25,000 residents, El Cerrito has the advantage of being centrally located in a major metropolitan area. El Cerrito is an established community with a strong self-identity and a commitment to enhancing the quality of life for its citizens.

CONTACT:Stephen Prée, Program Manager, Public Works DepartmentCity of El Cerrito(510) 559-7685spree@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us##

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This press release was produced by the City of El Cerrito. The views expressed here are the author’s own.