Anderson Township’s Street Tree efforts have been honored for the sixth year in a row as part of the Tree City USA program.
Anderson’s program also earned a “Growth Award,” which was received by only eight of 41 communities in southwest Ohio.
The Tree City USA program, a nationwide effort urging communities to preserve health tree populations and invest in urban forestry programs, also recognized the state of Ohio as the top Tree City USA state, its 34th year to take that honor. In 1997, Ohio became the first state to have more than 200 Tree City communities.
Committee members on Anderson’s Street Tree Committee include: Bruce Berno (chair), Scott Beuerlein, Paul Braasch, Sandra Coleman, Nancy Downs, Josh Eastlake, Mark Ginty, Jim Graef, John Halpin, Timothy Kloppenborg, Catherine Martin, Tom Prues, Jim Rombke, Sonia Shively, Rick Voss, Josh Gerth (trustee liason).
The Tree City USA program, created in 1976, is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Conference of Mayors, National League of Cities and the National Association of State Foresters.
Photo: John Halpin, center and Nancy Downs, right, share the Tree City USA honor with Tyler Stevenson, urban forestry coordinator of Ohio Department of Natural Resources, at a recent ceremony.