The City of Marion recently received the 2023 Tree City USA Growth Award at the 33rd Annual Community Forestry Awards Luncheon in Ankeny.
The award was presented by the Arbor Day Foundation and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources April 4 at the FFA Enrichment Center in Ankeny.
“The Tree City USA award is a symbol for communities who have made a commitment to the management of public trees,” state forester Jeff Goerndt said in a release. “Your community has provided an outstanding example for other Iowa communities by enhancing our forest resources and demonstrating the great value of trees in providing multiple benefits for future generations.”
Marion was one of 21 Iowa communities to qualify for Tree City USA Growth status.
To receive the award, a city must, at a minimum, provide education and public relations; partnerships; planning and management; and tree planting and maintenance in their communities.
Marion has achieved Tree City USA status several times since 1993.
Started in 1976, Tree City USA is one of the Arbor Day Foundation’s oldest programs.
The first Tree City USA cohort was comprised of 42 communities in 16 states. Today, the program includes more than 3,600 communities from all 50 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico.
