The City of Salisbury, Maryland is proud to be officially designated a 2021 Tree City USA® by the Arbor Day Foundation in honor of its commitment to and continuing support of the City’s urban forest. This year represents the 3rd year the City has been certified as a Tree City by the Arbor Day Foundation.
“Salisbury’s recognition as a Tree City USA shows that our City is constantly working to create a thriving and healthy environment for our community members,” says Mayor Jake Day. “I am proud to see the great work that our teams have done to achieve this honor, and we encourage our residents to explore our City parks and outdoor spaces.”
In 2021, the City continued its commitment to expand its urban tree canopy by planting native trees in the City Park, working with volunteers from Wicomico Environmental Trust to plant trees along the Wicomico River downtown, and working with Chesapeake Utilities to plant trees in Lake Street Park and Playground.
In addition to the City’s designation, Salisbury University is one of eight campuses in Maryland recognized as a Tree Campus, which further involves Salisbury’s youth in service projects, environmental action, and climate change mitigation.
“We are thrilled to be certified as a Tree City for the third year,” says City Sustainability Specialist Alyssa Hastings. “In 2022, I am excited to work to protect our existing trees by removing invasive vines and species as well as continue to plant more native trees in our parks and public spaces.”
The Tree City USA program holds four requirements for a city to be given this distinction: a tree board or department, a tree care ordinance, an annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita, and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation. More information on the program is available at arborday.org/TreeCityUSA.
Also created by the City is a Comprehensive City Parks donation Policy and Program, which simplified the process of donating trees to the City Park. The City’s Parks Donation form can be viewed at salisbury.md/park-tree-item-donations. The City of Salisbury’s Tree City webpage can be viewed at Salisbury.md/tree-city.
