Peabody Recognized As 'Tree City' For 21st Year

PEABODY, MA — Peabody's dedication to being a leafy, urban community was once again recognized with the Arbor Day Foundation naming the city a "Tree City USA" for the 21st year.

"Planting and caring for trees is among the most important things we can do to benefit current and future generations," Peabody Mayor Ted Bettencourt said. "We all know that trees beautify the landscape and provide shade for our homes, but they also offer countless environmental, economic and social benefits."

To qualify as Tree City, communities must have a tree board or department, a tree-care ordinance, a community forestry program with annual expenditures 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 cooperation with the National Association of State Foresters and the USDA Forest Service.

The Arbor Day Foundation is a nonprofit, environmental and educational organization of more than 1 million members, with a mission to inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)