Mayor Nickels recently signed a proclamation naming April 30, 2021 as Arbor Day in the City of Manitowoc.   In celebration of Arbor Day, an Ohio Buckeye tree and a Red Oak tree donated by the Manitowoc Chapter of the Izaak Walton League were planted at Red Arrow Park.  Lakeside Foods office personnel also donated and planted a Baumann Horse Chestnut tree at Washington Park.

 In conjunction with Arbor Day, the City of Manitowoc recently received its 2020 Tree City USA award.   This is the thirty-eighth year in a row that the City of Manitowoc has been named a Tree City USA community.  The award honors the city’s commitment to effective urban forest management.  The National Arbor Day Foundation sponsors the Tree City USA program in cooperation with the National Association of State Foresters and the USDA Forest Service.  To receive this recognition the City of Manitowoc had to meet the four criteria:  1) have an active tree board; 2) have a tree care ordinance; 3) have an annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita; and 4) have an Arbor Day observance and proclamation.  In addition, the City of Manitowoc also received a Tree City USA Growth Award for demonstrating an environmental improvement and a higher level of tree care.

 Trees provide multiple benefits to a community when properly planted and maintained.  They help to improve the visual appeal of a neighborhood, increase property values, reduce home cooling costs, remove air pollutants and provide wildlife habitat, among many other benefits.  Anyone interested in planting or removing a tree in the terrace area (the area between the sidewalk and the street) must complete a permit.  Go to www.manitowoc.org and click on Departments, then Urban Forestry for more information.

 Forestry questions can be directed to the City of Manitowoc Parks Division at 920-686-3580 or forestry@manitowoc.org.

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