Urban Forests in Indiana
More than 65 cities in Indiana have been designated as a Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation. This means that those cities have officially made the commitment to improving their urban forests by:
- establishing a board or department to manage the community's trees,
- passing a Tree Care Ordinance that gives this body the responsibility for writing and implementing an annual community forestry work plan,
- establishing a community forestry program with an annual budget of at least $2 per capita,
- organizing an Arbor Day observance and proclamation with a simple tree planting event or an award ceremony that honors leading tree planters.
A 2012 research paper by Vogt and Fischer describes the relationship between urban forestry and community sustainability. In their paper they point out that “The benefits of urban forests and the
contributions of the extent and quality of the urban forest to the tangible sustainability and environmental quality of a city are well documented. Because the traditions of urban forestry and tree planting have a longer history than the more recent trend of community sustainability programs, there may be a potential for strong, successful urban forestry programs to catalyze broader sustainability movements.”
For more information about the program see the Tree City USA website.
Submitted by: Dick Sprague, Region 8