The Arbor Day Foundation has named the City of Bowling Green a 2022 Tree City USA in honor of its commitment to effective urban forest management. The city also received a Tree City USA Growth Award for demonstrating environmental improvement and higher level of tree care.
This is the 43rd year Bowling Green has been recognized as a Tree City and the 29th time the city has received the Growth Award.
Bowling Green achieved Tree City USA recognition by meeting the program’s four requirements of having:
- A tree board or department.
- A tree-care ordinance.
- An annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita.
- An Arbor Day observance and proclamation.
“Everyone benefits when elected officials, volunteers and committed citizens in communities like Bowling Green make smart investments in urban forests,” said Dan Lambe, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “Trees bring shade to our homes and beauty to our neighborhoods, along with numerous economic, social and environmental benefits.”
With the additional recognition of a Growth Award, Bowling Green has demonstrated its expediency towards building a framework for sustainable urban forest management. A thriving urban forest offers many advantages to communities:
- Trees help absorb the sounds of traffic in urban areas by 40%.
- Neighborhoods with trees are seven to nine degrees cooler than those without.
- Trees reduce energy costs up to 25% by shading buildings and protecting them from winter winds.
- Homes with trees have higher property values.
- Green space plays a major role in improving mental and physical health.
- Planting and maintaining trees absorbs carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, mitigating the effects of climate change.
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. More information on the program is available at www.arborday.org/TreeCityUSA.
