Vancouver has been recognized as a TREE CITY USA since 1989. The TREE CITY USA program is designed to recognize communities that effectively manage their urban forest and meet the four TREE CITY USA standards. Vancouver has continually been selected for this national recognition for effectively managing its urban trees as a valuable natural resource. Maintaining this national status shows that the City and citizens recognize that urban trees are closely linked to our quality of life and take pride in working together as stewards to preserve and enhance the urban forest.
The National Arbor Day Foundation, in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service and Washington State Department of Natural Resources' Urban and Community Forestry Program, recognizes towns and cities across Washington and the United States that meet the standards of the TREE CITY USA program.
Vancouver must meet these four standards:
Have an established legal tree governing body (Vancouver's Urban Forestry Commission), maintain a comprehensive community forestry program that spends at least $2 per capita on the urban forest (Vancouver's Urban Forestry Division),
maintain a tree care ordinance (Street Tree Ordinance Title 12.04 and Tree Conservation Ordinance Title 20.770), and hold an annual Arbor Day Observance and Proclamation (celebrated locally on the second Wednesday in April).
These standards provide a basic structure for the Vancouver Urban Forestry Division, require us to demonstrate success based on the meeting and exceeding the standards, and provide for an awareness and appreciation of the urban forest among our citizens and elected officials.
TREE CITY USA is an ongoing community improvement program, and we must apply for the award each year. Ongoing recognition not only contributes to our community's pride, but also keeps us in touch with other cities and resources, which can help to improve our program.
Vancouver Urban Forestry reflects on 2006 successes, looks to future
Contact: Ryan Durocher, Urban Forestry, (360) 619-1108
Vancouver Urban Forestry, a division of the Vancouver-Clark Parks & Recreation Department, has released its Annual Report, which details the program's activities and accomplishments for 2006.
Notable highlights include:
Met or exceeded all established performance measures
Planted 870 new trees and maintained 1679 trees
Achieved 97% survival rate on all tree planting projects
Increased outreach presentations and volunteer participation
Received 100% customer satisfaction rating
Awarded grants and donations valued over $86,000
Significantly expanded list of community partners.
Other major achievements include updating the Street Tree Ordinance and beginning work on Vancouver's first Urban Forestry Management Plan.
"Vancouver Urban Forestry delivers a program that is a real value to the community, efficiently providing great service and fulfilling a critical role," stated Duane Northrup, Clark Public Utilities' Forestry Maintenance Superintendent and Chair of the Vancouver Urban Forestry Commission. "This program is possible because of a unique partnership between Parks and Recreation, and Public Works, with significant participation of community volunteers and private sector partners."
According to City Forester Charles Ray, "Our program has made significant strides in recent years. We are able to provide both better management of the city's tree canopy and better service to the citizens of Vancouver. But we continue to look to the future. With support from existing and new community partners, we can achieve the vision of a greener, more sustainable Vancouver."
Urban Forestry also recently released its new workplan, which describes its vision, mission, goals, and objectives for 2007-2008.
The 2006 Annual Report and the 2007-2008 Workplan are available to download from Urban Forestry's website www.cityofvancouver.us/urbanforestry.