Lakeside was recognized as a Tree City USA on May 11, 2022, in the Northwest Ohio awards ceremony hosted by the Villages of Arcadia and Ottawa, The City of Findlay, The University of Findlay and their Tree Commissions.
This is the 11th time our community has been honored with this nationally recognized award.
The awards were presented to the Tree City and Tree Campus USA communities by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Forestry. Featured speaker, Tyler Stevenson, Urban Forestry Program Coordinator with the Ohio Division of Forestry, shared happenings in public tree care programs and projections for the future.
The title of Tree City USA was bestowed upon our community for its ongoing efforts to maintain and improve quality of life through a comprehensive tree management program. The program is guided by the Lakeside Tree Advisory Committee and the Lakeside staff.
The ODNR, Division of Forestry’s Urban Forestry Assistance Program acts as a guiding hand in helping a community to become qualified as a Tree City USA. The Regional Urban Forester recommends a community to the Arbor Day Foundation for this standing. To achieve the title and the honors, a community must meet four standards:
- A Tree Ordinance
- An active Tree Commission (The Lakeside Tree Advisory Committee)
- A comprehensive urban forestry program supported by a minimum of two dollars per capita
- An annual Arbor Day proclamation and public observance
Ohio boasts the greatest number of Tree Cities in the country and marks Ohio’s 44th consecutive year as the top Tree City USA state, according to the Ohio Division of Forestry. Fifty-two Northwest Ohio communities are Tree Cities and two universities are honored as Tree Campus USAs (Ohio Northern University and the University of Findlay.) All were recognized for their achievements at the awards ceremony in Findlay.
For additional information about the Tree City USA program or the Arbor Day Foundation, visit arborday.org.
