The Arbor Day Foundation named the city of Staunton a Tree City USA.
This is the 27th year that Staunton has earned the award for making the care and planting of trees a priority.
Localities must meet four basic requirements to earn the distinction: have a tree board or department, a tree care ordinance, a community forestry program and an Arbor Day proclamation and observance.
Arbor Day will be celebrated in the Queen City on Friday, April 28. City Council will present a proclamation on the celebration at its regular meeting on Thursday, April 20, at 7:30 p.m.
The Tree City USA program began in 1976 and is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation with the U.S. Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters.
A July 2022 thunderstorm damaged many trees in Staunton’s parks, especially in the west end of Gypsy Hill Park. After cleanup, staff determined that 142 trees were lost in Gypsy Hill and Montgomery Hall parks. City staff are working on replacing all 142 trees by fall 2023. Donations have aided the goal, including a donation from the Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge in honor of Staunton’s first horticulturist, Susan Blackley, which purchased 80 trees. A donation from the Augusta Garden Club purchased another nine trees.
According to the foundation, becoming a Tree City USA benefits urban areas because trees absorb the sounds of traffic by 40 percent. Neighborhoods with trees are 7 to 9 degrees cooler, and trees reduce energy costs by up to 25 percent by shading buildings and protecting them from winter winds. Homes with trees have higher property values, and green space plays a role in improving mental and physical health for humans. Planting and maintaining trees absorbs carbon dioxide and mitigates climate change.
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Rebecca Barnabi
