News : Urban forestry awards recognize local dedication to trees and outreach

Three towns in Benton County were recognized at the Urban Forestry Awards luncheon which recognizes cities, college campuses and utilities that demonstrate a variety of dedication to the importance of trees in their respective communities.

Awards were presented April 3rd at the FFA Enrichment Center in Ankeny, on behalf of the Arbor Day Foundation and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

Among the recipients for the Tree City USA Award were the cities of Belle Plaine, Dysart and Van Horne.

To qualify for the Tree City USA award, a city must have either a city forester or an active city tree board, have a tree ordinance, spend at least $2 per capita annually for its community forestry program, and have a tree planting and maintenance plan.

The award recipients were Adel, Ames, Arnolds Park, Atlantic, Belle Plaine, Bettendorf, Bondurant, Boone, Burlington, Carlisle, Carroll, Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids, Clarinda, Clarksville, Clinton, Clive, Coralville, Council Bluffs, Cresco, Decorah, Denver, Des Moines, DeWitt, Dubuque, Dysart, Fort Dodge, Greene, Grimes, Grundy Center, Hampton, Hiawatha, Hillsboro, Hopkinton, Hudson, Huxley, Indianola, Iowa City, Jefferson, Johnston, Livermore, Luxemburg, Manchester, Maquoketa, Marion, Marquette, Marshalltown, Mason City, Maxwell, Mt Vernon, Muscatine, Nevada, Newton, North Liberty, Odebolt, Oelwein, Oskaloosa, Ottumwa, Pleasant Hill, Polk City, Red Oak, Sioux City, Spencer, Story City, Tipton, Urbandale, Van Horne, Washington, Waterloo, Waverly, Webster City, West Des Moines, and Winterset.