Tree City USA, Growth Awards, Tree Campus USA, and Tree Line USA
The Arbor Day Foundation (ADF) has several national recognition programs which are administered at the state level. In Rhode Island, the Urban and Community Forestry Program oversees the application and award process by providing information and assistance to applicants, reviewing and approving applications, submitting successful applications to ADF for final review, and distributing award materials from ADF, including presenting the awards at Arbor Day events throughout the state (by invitation).
Do you live in an RI Tree City? Check out the Arbor Day map
Why become a TCUSA?
There are many additional resources to help to maximize your efforts and have a lasting impact.
Arbor Day Resources
The Arbor Day Foundation has many free resources that can help:
- Bulletins for TCUSA - covers many topics related to community forests, and you can search by topic.
- Videos
Tree Boards
Your Tree Board can have a big impact on your local engagement and providing support for your municipal staff.
- Tree Board University - an online training curriculum for citizens who serve on tree advisory bodies for local governments across the USA. There are 8 courses covering topics like tree advocacy, finance, and project management. It is free to register.
- Tree Board Handbook - covers a variety of topics including tips on being an effective tree board member, planning strategies, getting the work done, external communication, celebrating Arbor Day, and available resources. The UCF Program has free copies available for RI TCUSA boards, just ask.
- More About Tree Boards - has some introductory context for how a Tree Board works and how it can engage with the community.
- How to Grow a Great Tree Board - Arbor Day bulletin #54
Arbor Day
- Make your Arbor Day Count - some ideas for celebrating Arbor Day
- How to Spruce up your Arbor Day - Arbor Day bulletin #74
- Plan your Arbor Day Event - Arbor Day site with planning tools, fund raising ideas and sample program
- Arbor Day social media messaging - Arbor Day toolkit for getting your message out
Tree City USA - 15 RI municipalities in 2024
Tree City USA is a national program that provides the framework for community forestry management for cities and towns across America. Communities achieve Tree City USA status by meeting 4 core standards of sound urban forestry management each year: maintaining a tree board or department, having a community tree ordinance, spending at least $2 per capita on urban forestry, and celebrating Arbor Day. DID YOU KNOW? In 2024, RI municipalities spent an average of $6 per capita.
Deadline for TCUSA certification and yearly recertification applications: December 31
A community is eligible to apply for a Tree City USA Growth Award after being a Tree City USA Community for at least one year. The Tree City USA Growth Award is an opportunity to participate in activities that recognize environmental improvement and encourage higher levels of tree care and strengthen your community tree care programs.
There are four categories of activities which are awarded points: Education and Public Relations, Partnerships, Planning and Management, and Tree Planting and Maintenance. Activities in these categories must be accomplished during the calendar year and a total of 10 points must be achieved to be eligible.
Deadline for Growth Award applications: December 31
Tree Campus USA - 3 RI Higher Education Campuses in 2024
Tree Campus USA is a national program that supports effective tree management at two- and four-year accredited colleges and universities. The campuses achieve Tree Campus USA status by meeting 5 core standards developed to promote healthy trees and student involvement: maintaining both a Campus Tree Advisory Committee and a Service Learning Project for students, having both a campus tree care plan and a campus tree program with dedicated annual expenditure, and celebrating Arbor Day.
Deadline for Tree Campus certification and yearly recertification applications: December 31
Tree Line USA - 1 RI Utility in 2024
Tree Line USA is a national program that promotes sound utility pruning practices by recognizing best practices in public and private utility arboriculture, demonstrating how trees and utilities can co-exist for the benefit of communities and citizens. Utilities achieve Tree Line USA status by meeting 5 core standards that balance the demands of expanding utility needs alongside the benefits of providing adequate care for our urban forests: quality tree care, annual worker training, tree planting and public education, a tree-based energy conservation program, and an Arbor Day Celebration.
Deadline for Tree Line certification and yearly recertification applications: December 31
Questions? Contact DEM Division of Forest Environment's Urban and Community Forestry Program Coordinator Robert Allard, 401.537.4067