Gaithersburg Celebrates 25 Years as Tree City USA

At a special tree planting in celebration of Arbor Day, the City of Gaithersburg was presented with a Tree City USA award for the twenty fifth consecutive year.

Sponsored by the National Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the National Association of State Foresters and the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service, the Tree City Award recognizes Gaithersburg’s commitment to the environment and its aggressive approach to preserving and enhancing its urban forest. The City met four national standards to qualify: Having a tree board or department, having a tree care ordinance, maintaining a comprehensive community forestry program with annual expenditures of at least $2 per capita, and celebrating Arbor Day with an observance.

On Wednesday, April 23, Mayor Sidney Katz joined staff and students from Gaithersburg Elementary School and a representative from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources in a tree planting at the school to celebrate Arbor Day.

“Arbor Day is an important part of our Green Week celebration each year,” said Mayor Sidney Katz. “It helps students understand the impact of trees, and the donated tree can then serve as a living reminder of how important it is for us to care for the environment.”

For more information on this and other environmental programs in the City of Gaithersburg, please contact the Environmental Services Division at 301.258.6310 or visit the City’s website www.gaithersburgmd.gov.

About Staff Writer

View all posts by Staff Writer