New trees for Plymouth’s Tree City USA
Did you know Plymouth is a TREE CITY USA community? I did not until I began my work at the Marshall County Soil and Water Conservation office. As part of the position, I get to serve on Plymouth’s Urban Forest & Flower Committee, and when I say “get to”, I consider it an honor and a great opportunity to serve my community on this Committee. I had been aware the City had been planting about 30 trees every Fall for several years, because my previous employer, Price Nurseries, had been hired by the City of Plymouth to plant those street trees. But I knew little about the TREE CITY USA designation, so permit me to inform you a bit of its workings.
TREE CITY USA is a program of the Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the US Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters, Division of Urban and Community Forestry. So, what are some of the benefits of having TREE CITY USA recognition? It means our community is committed to creating and maintaining a healthier environment for its residents. Urban forests improve air and water quality, cool our streets and homes, slow stormwater runoff, and mitigate floods. Trees improve our mental health by reducing stress, anger and frustration. They also improve our ability to concentrate, heal quicker from illnesses, and lower blood pressure. Trees also lower energy bills and add substantial increases to our property value. When trees thrive, we thrive.
A city has to apply for the TREE CITY USA status and must meet some core standards to achieve it. In 2012, Luke Felde, a Plymouth resident and forester, strolled into Mayor Mark Senter’s office with a proposal. It was important to him and his wife Nancy (an accomplished Landscape Architect) to help promote the health of our city forest canopy and part of that goal was to get started with a replacement program. He told Mayor Senter about the TREE CITY USA program and the Mayor promptly agreed this would be a great activity for the City of Plymouth. They found other concerned citizens and formed the required urban forest Tree Committee, which then developed and wrote our Tree Ordinance. In 2014 the designation was granted. An annual mayoral Arbor Day Declaration & Celebration has occurred every year since under the leadership of the Mayor’s Youth Council. The City made a commitment to spend a minimum of $2 each year per resident. Hence, Plymouth is now one of 3400 communities flying a TREE CITY USA flag. (Check it out at River Park Square.)
Currently, the Urban Forest and Flower Committee consists of Chairman Mike Woolfington, Mike Hite Superintendent of the Parks Department, Marshall County Cooperative Extension agent Bob Yoder, City Forester Cameron Arnold, Street Department Superintendent Jim Marquardt, and citizens Steve Listenberger, Dan Shuppert, Luke Felde, and myself. Together we advise and make the decisions to keep the status current and efforts ongoing.
If you have seen a crew out planting new trees the past week in our beautiful City, take a minute to appreciate what these gifts from Mother Nature do for us as humans and thank Mayor Senter for his steadfast support. Ask what you might be able to do to help because everyone can do their part. Maybe you were the fortunate recipient of a new street tree or trees on your block. Keep an eye on it, let us know if it needs some extra care in getting established, and protect it from damage. You, your children, and your grandchildren will reap many rewards for living in a TREE CITY USA community and for participating in CREATIVE CONSERVATION.
Your may request a street tree by contacting our City Forester, Cameron Arnold at the City Parks Department at 574-936-2876.
The Soil and Water Conservation Office would like to wish everyone a safe, healthy, and happy Holiday Season!