Appreciating Our “Tree City USA” Designation and Work of Tree Committee Members

Driving across Iowa and other states, you’ve likely noticed how many cities and towns proudly post the “Tree City USA” designation at the entrance to their community.  Started in 1976, Tree City USA is one of the Arbor Day Foundation’s oldest programs.  So successful, that by 2022, the Tree City USA designation had been awarded to 3,559 communities, including Jefferson.

Impressive!  But what does it mean?  According to the Tree City USA website, this program “provides communities with a four-step framework to maintain and grow their tree cover.  It also gives them an avenue to celebrate their work, showing residents, visitors, and the entire country that they’re committed to the mission of environmental change.”

Jefferson first earned the Tree City USA designation in 1997 – twenty-seven years ago – by (1) establishing and maintaining a Tree Board or Department, (2) preparing and enforcing a community tree ordinance, (3) spending at least $2.00 per capita annually on urban forestry, and (4) celebrating Arbor Day each year.  

City Administrator Scott Peterson explains that “Jefferson is blessed to have a great Tree Committee that takes care of most of the tree-related items in town.  The ‘Board’ is actually a large group of volunteers who are tree-lovers and who physically do the work of planting and caring for trees.”  Lynn Menz, an author, who writes about his beloved bonsai trees, is the chairperson. Brad Riphagen, Field Coordinator for Trees Forever, guides project design, species selection, and writes grants to purchase trees. When writing grants, Riphagen always includes Jefferson’s “Tree City USA” designation as, “it indicates to funders Jefferson’s commitment to trees and tree planning.”

The Community Tree Ordinance is a four-page document that lists permitted and prohibited species of trees residents who live adjacent to public property may and may not plant on publicly owned property and size and spacing requirements.  Before planting any trees on public property adjacent to your property, you would absolutely want to consult with the city to make certain you meet all requirements.  Consulting this Ordinance could also be useful in deciding what trees to plant on your own property. Finally, the Ordinance explains the duties of property owners and the city to trim trees, control diseases, and to inspect and remove diseased trees.  

To meet the requirement to spend at least $2.00 per capita on urban forestry, Peterson says the City of Jefferson historically has contributed $2,000 per year and obtained grants.  In recent years, city employees have contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars of in-kind contributions through removing Ash trees infested with the Emerald Ash Borer.   Public Works Director, Dave Morlan reports city employees already have removed around 450 Ash trees with around 150 more to go. This loss of Ash trees, according to Menz, is why the Tree Committee planted 100 trees this Spring more than double the amount for a normal year.

According to Riphagen, celebrating Arbor Day each year includes inviting the current year’s 8th Grade students to assist in planting trees around Arbor Day in late April or early May. “Our goal,” Menz explains, “of including students to help with the planting is not only to learn how to plant a tree, but to give them the opportunity to put their roots into the community.  Hopefully, it gives them a sense of pride when they are a part of it.” To meet the requirement of “Tree City USA,” the Mayor of Jefferson must sign a proclamation each year announcing the celebration of Arbor Day.

The Tree City USA website explains that maintaining a thriving urban forest offers many benefits to our community.  A thriving urban forest can reduce energy costs by up to 25% by shading buildings and protecting them from winter winds.  In the summer, neighborhoods with trees are seven to nine degrees cooler than those without.  Significantly, green space in urban areas plays a major role in improving mental and physical health. Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, emit the oxygen into the air we breath and take the carbon into the leaves, trunk and roots of the tree, then through interacting with life forms around the roots, eventually move some of the carbon into the soil, giving our soil its wonderful black color. This process both mitigates climate change and improves the health of the soil around our trees.    

With all the benefits of the wonderful trees in our urban forest, perhaps we can all better understand the Chinese proverb, “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago.  The next best time is today.”   Even more powerfully, Nelson Henderson teaches: “The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.”  Finally, conservationist, W.S. Merwin, affirms: “On the last day of the world, I would want to plant a tree.”

In addition to Tree Committee members already referenced above, other members include: Bob Larson, Lyle Brinker, Joan Conroy, Lois Brant, Luke Winkelman, Margaret Hamilton, Abby Hamilton, Carole Fisher, Jamie Daubendiek, Vern Foje, Brian Button, Janet Dewan, Mike Dewan, Brent Gerzema, Terry Johnson, and Dan Meythaler.  

Jefferson can rightfully take pride in all the work our Tree Committee Members do to earn and continue to earn the designation of “Tree City USA.”  Thank you, Tree Committee Members!  Thank you!  Thank you!  Thank you!

Having lived in Jefferson since only December 2021, Bryan knows he will always be a newcomer in town. Though this may surprise his readers, he wants everyone to know that he truly delights in this role!