By Donna Beth Weilenman, Staff Reporter for the Benicia Herald
Benicia has been recognized as a Tree City USA for the third time and has been given a Growth Award for its second consecutive year, Mario Giuliani of the Office of the Director, Parks and Community Services Department, said this week.
The announcement came a little more than a month after vandals killed 18 young tulip trees in Community Park, including one planted last October as part of the Tree City USA certification and Arbor Day celebration.
Arbor Day Foundation Chief Executive John Rosenow said Benicia is one of more than 3,400 cities and towns that have been given the Tree City USA designation for their commitment to urban forestry.
“Residents of Benicia should take pride in the fact that they live in a community where planting and nurturing trees is a priority,” Rosenow said.
Tree City USA is sponsored by the National Association of State Foresters and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, he said. To receive the designation, a city must have a tree board or department, a tree care ordinance, a comprehensive community forestry program with annual expenditures of at least $2 per resident, and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation.
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