Arbor Day Foundation Honors Norwalk For Urban Forest Management

Press release from the City of Norwalk:

April 29, 2021

For the seventeenth consecutive year, the City of Norwalk was named a Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation in honor of its commitment to effective urban forest management.

Norwalk also received a Tree City USA Growth Award for the fifteenth consecutive year for demonstrating environmental improvement and a higher level of tree care.

“We are expanding our tree planting program to improve our tree canopy wherever we can. Trees are real assets to our community. They are an essential part of what makes Norwalk such a livable and beautiful city,” said Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling. “We’re very proud of our tree planting efforts. It’s a great recognition to have now been named a Tree City USA community for 17 years.”

Norwalk achieved Tree City USA recognition by meeting the program’s four requirements: a tree board or department, a tree-care ordinance, an annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita, and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation. The Tree City USA program is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation, in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters. Norwalk is one of more than 3,600 Tree City USAs, and one of 16 in Connecticut.

“Tree City USA communities see the positive effects of an urban forest firsthand,” said Dan Lambe, President of the Arbor Day Foundation. “Participation in this program brings residents together and creates a sense of civic pride, whether it’s through volunteer engagement or public education. The trees being planted and cared for by Norwalk are ensuring that generations to come will enjoy a better quality of life.”

The Arbor Day Foundation recently launched the Time for Trees initiative to address issues such as air quality, water resources, and protection from extreme heat and flooding. The goal of the initiative is to plant 100 million trees in forests and communities, and inspiring 5 million tree planters by 2022. With Tree City USA recognition, Norwalk is doing its part to help address these challenges for residents now and into the future.

In celebration of Arbor Day, Mayor Rilling and local officials will be planting eight trees at Oak Hills Park on Friday, April 30, at 1:00 p.m. and the event will be livestreamed on the City of Norwalk Facebook page. Last week, in celebration of Arbor Day, a Sugar Maple Tree was planted at Kendall Elementary School and a Stellar Pink Flowering Dogwood Tree was planted at Brookside Elementary School. The Arbor Day event is a partnership between the City of Norwalk, Norwalk Public Schools, Norwalk Tree Advisory Committee, Norwalk Tree Alliance, and Eversource.

This press release was produced by the City of Norwalk. The views expressed here are the author's own.