Decatur and Berne named Tree Cities

In an effort to continue providing communities with framework to maintain and grow their tree cover, the Arbor Day Foundation recently released their list of which cities earned the title “Tree City” in 2022. On the list once again were local municipalities Berne and Decatur.

To join the Tree City USA community, the area must meet four requirements. They must maintain a tree board or department, they must have a community tree ordinance, they must spend $2 per capita on urban forestry, and they must celebrate Arbor Day, which traditionally occurs on the last Friday in April and encourages the planting of Trees.

In 2022 the program recognized 3,559 cities as part of the initiative, which resulted in 1,002,569 trees being planted last year and nearly $1.57 billion dollars of investment into urban forestry. The Arbor Day Foundation explains that the investment can return cooler temperatures, cleaner air, higher property values, and healthier residents.

This year marks the 28th year that Berne has been recognized and marks the 29th time that Decatur has earned the distinction. They are two of 66 total Tree Cities in the Hoosier state, with Decatur tying for the 11th most distinctions and Berne tying for the 13th most.