Arbor Day Celebration
Boise, ID – Idaho celebrated Arbor Day today at the Idaho State Museum. This morning seven Treasure Valley cities were recognized as Tree Cities USA. Boise, Caldwell, Eagle, Garden City, Kuna, Meridian, and Nampa were honored this morning for the stewardship of their urban forests.
Arbor Day recognizes the benefit of trees to communities and the people that live in those communities. For instance, urban forests:
- Absorb the sounds of traffic by 40%
- Keep neighborhoods seven to nine degrees cooler
- Reduce energy costs up to 25% by shading buildings and protecting them from winter winds
- Increase property values of homes
- Absorb carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
Arbor Day is also a great time to recognize the benefit of trees to Idaho’s school children. Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) manages a million acres of endowment forest with revenue mostly supporting public schools.
Over the past year we distributed $88 million to all beneficiaries, nearly $55 million of that went to support public schools. This coming year more than $100 million total will be distributed to the beneficiaries, $61.5 million will support public schools this next school year.
Today, IDL Director Dustin Miller presented a symbolic $55 million check to Controller Brandon Woolf and Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra and to represent the money provided to public schools this year.
“The sustainable management of Idaho’s endowment forestland ensures school children of today and tomorrow benefit from this renewable resource,” said Superintendent Sherri Ybarra.
Last year 302 million board feet of timber was harvested from endowment lands – enough lumber to frame more than 18,875 homes. The harvests brought in $79.7 million dollars to the endowments. This year IDL is in the process of planting 2.4 million seedlings.
Forests provide clean air, remove and store carbon dioxide, send fresh oxygen into the air, provide habitat for wildlife, clean water through our watersheds, and opportunities for recreation. 63% of Idaho’s water comes from the forests.
Idaho’s trees are a sustainable, renewable resource, that if managed well will support our school children and benefits our communities for generations to come.
Tree City USA Awards
City of Boise: Council President Elain Clegg, City Arborist Mike Andrews, Treasure Valley Canopy Network Lance Davisson
- Very first Tree City recipient and has been recipient for 44 years
- Received growth award for more than 20 years
- Tree City of the World for 2 years
- In year three of the City of Trees Challenge planting initiative, planting one tree for every household in Boise and one seedling for every resident in Idaho forests over the next ten years
City of Caldwell: Parks Superintendent Stacey Lenz
- Tree City USA recipient for 43 years
City of Eagle: Mayor Jason Pierce , Public Works Director Eric Ziegenfuss
- Tree City for 30 years
- Celebrated Arbor Day on April 20
- Since 2016 the city has funded more than 800 trees through its residential tree planting program
- Striving to provide a sound community of forestry
City of Garden City: Mayor John Evans, Councilors Teresa Jorgensen, Bill Jacobs, John Page
- Tree City for 21 years
- Trees previously planted are maturing, adding to the ambiance of public places
Kuna: Parks Director Bobby Withrow, City Arborist Stacy Jones
- Tree City for 31 years
- Adding 5-10 trees per year to existing parks
- Community survey on what trees should be added to what park this year
- Arbor Day was celebrated September 7
City of Meridian: City Councilor Treg Bernt, Parks & Recreation Director Steve Siddoway
- Tree City for 20 years
- Planted 86 trees in its parks
- Salvaged approximately 640 cubic feet of Urban Wood which was donated to the Idaho Urban Wood Network to be repurposed as future tables or other wood craft projects keeping it out of landfills
- Developed an Urban Forest Management Plan
City of Nampa: City Forester Adam Mancini, Assist. Parks & Recreation Director Cody Swander
- Tree City for 24 years
- Completed the city’s first Urban Forestry Management Plan in 2021
- Solicited for bids for a Nampa Parks and Rec. Comprehensive 25 year Plan (previous plan in 2003)
- Updating the city’s tree ordinances (previously updated 2016)
To qualify for a Tree City USA award a community must meet four standards each year. The cities must: 1. have a tree committee or city forestry department, 2. have a tree care ordinance, 3. spend at least $2 per capita annually to maintain its tree program, and 4. must proclaim and celebrate Arbor Day.
Tree Campus
This year the State of Idaho has added three Tree Campus Higher Education Recipients. They are Boise State University, Lewis-Clark State College, and North Idaho College. The requirements for attaining this award include:
- Establishment of a campus tree advisory committee
- Evidence of a campus tree care plan
- Verification of the plan’s dedicated annual expenditures
- Observing Arbor Day
- Creating a service-learning project aimed at engaging the student body
Tree Line USA
Another first for Idaho is a Tree Line USA recipient, Idaho Power.
Tree Line USA is a program that recognizes best practices in public and private utility arboriculture, demonstrating how trees and utilities can co-exist for the benefit of communities and citizens.
Distributions to Endowment Beneficiaries
Link to Big Check photo
Link to crowd photo
 
|
