City of Baton Rouge awarded TREE CITY USA designation for 2018

June 6, 2019 – Baton Rouge, LA – Roadside signs will soon go up near the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport and in downtown announcing to citizens and visitors that the City of Baton Rouge has achieved the coveted title of Tree City USA from the Arbor Day Foundation. After a long hiatus, Baton Rouge was able to be named a Tree City for the year of 2017, and now confirmed again for 2018.

“For 30 years, all members of Baton Rouge Green have cared for the future of this Earth, as well as the future of this city,” said Mayor-President Sharon Broome. “The Tree City award represents a passionate contribution to peace, prosperity, and progress that will impact Baton Rouge for generations to come.”

More than 3,400 communities have made the commitment to becoming a Tree City USA. Tree City USA status is achieved by meeting four core standards of sound urban forestry management:

1. Maintaining a tree board or department
2. Having a community tree ordinance
3. Spending at least $2 per capita on urban forestry, and
4. Celebrating Arbor Day. Baton Rouge Green holds an annual Arbor Day Celebration to this end on the third Friday of January each year. Mayor Broome has publicly declared this date Arbor Day for the past two years of her administration.

Applications and documentation required for Tree City USA were completed by the City of Baton Rouge with assistance from Baton Rouge Green, a local non-profit dedicated to the planting and sustaining of community trees and green spaces.

Learn more about the Tree City USA program here.