The City of Covington was named a 2013 Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation for the 20th consecutive year in honor of its commitment to effective urban forest management. Priscilla Floca, the Executive Director of Keep Covington Beautiful, presented the 20th year award & Tree City USA flag to Mayor Cooper at the City Council meeting on February 18, 2014.
Covington has fulfilled the Tree City USA program’s four requirements: having a city Tree Board, a tree care ordinance, an annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation. KCB sponsors an annual seedling tree give-away on Louisiana Arbor Day in January.
According to John Rosenow, founder and chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation, trees are vital to the public infrastructure of cities and towns throughout the country, providing numerous environmental, social and economic benefits: shade for our homes, beauty for our neighborhoods, cleaner air, improved storm water management, energy savings and increased property values and commercial activity. In fact trees are the one piece of community infrastructure that actually increases in value over time.
The Tree City USA program is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation, in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters. More information about the program is available at www.arborday.org/TreeCityUSA.
