ALLENTOWN, Pa. | The non-profit Arbor Day Foundation is recognizing Allentown as a Tree City USA for the 41st year, according to state officials.
The Tree City USA program is sponsored by the Foundation in partnership with the USDA Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters, the organization stated.
They say there are four standards to achieve Tree City USA recognition. The municipality must have a tree board or department, a tree care ordinance, a comprehensive community forestry program with annual expenditures of at least $2 per capita and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation.
“We are very proud that Allentown has been able to mark more than 40 years as a Tree USA community,” said Mayor Ray O’Connell. “Trees beautify the city. They help to create a healthier planet for all of us. They provide shade to our neighborhoods and bring clean air and clean water.”
“Tree City USA communities see the impact an urban forest has in a community first-hand,” said Dan Lambe, President of the Arbor Day Foundation. “The trees being planted and cared for by Allentown residents are ensuring that generations will come to enjoy a better quality of life.”
City crews planted 576 trees and pruned another 160 trees in 2020, city officials say.
The Arbor Day Foundation says it has a goal of planting 100 million trees in forests and communities and inspiring 5 million tree planters by 2022.
More than 3,600 cities and towns across the country have been recognized as a Tree City USA community.
In Pennsylvania, only Philadelphia, Lancaster, Upper Darby, Swarthmore, and Lower & Upper Merion have been recognized more times than Allentown.
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