Dexter receives Tree City designation

Dexter has been named a Tree City USA community by the Arbor Day Foundation to honor the city's commitment to community forestry. It is the 16th consecutive year that Dexter has received this national recognition.

The Tree City USA program is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the National Association of State Foresters and the USDA Forest Service.

In the release, the Arbor Day Foundation wrote that Dexter has met the four standards to become a Tree City USA community: the city has a tree board, a tree care ordinance, the city has a comprehensive community forestry program and an annual Arbor Day observance which includes a proclamation by Mayor Joe Weber. Arbor Day is March 20 each year.

Dexter Tree Board Chairman Wayne Jean said the board takes an active role in the community. The board holds a tree sale each spring with the proceeds used to fund Tree Board activities. They also observe Arbor Day with a mayor's proclamation and the planting of tree seedlings at the elementary schools in Dexter. The Tree Board sponsors the Yard of the Month program in the Dexter area during the summer months as well. Other board members are Bennetta Harrellson, Herman Morse, Connie Blackwell, Lorene Thomason and Donn Beighley.

Dexter has three trees that are recognized by the Arbor Day Foundation as being either the oldest or the biggest of a particular variety of tree, according to Jean. The Post Oak on Chautauqua Street is the oldest of its kind and a Shaggy Bark Hickory off Hickory Street is the biggest of its kind. A Bartrum Oak in the eastern part of the city. is the largest of the naturally occurring hybrid tree to be found by the Arbor Foundation, Jean said.

The Arbor Day Foundation celebrated the 137th anniversary of Arbor Day this year.

The release from the foundation noted that communities that receive Tree City USA recognize that trees promote healthier communities by filtering air and removing dust particles; trees moderate climate, conserve water and provide habitat for wildlife; trees in urban areas reduce the heat island effect caused by pavement and buildings; and properly placed trees can increase property values.

"A community, its elected officials and its citizens that provide care for its trees deserves recognition and thanks," said John Rosenow, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation, "Trees are a vital component of the infrastructure in our cities and towns, and they also provide environmental and economical benefits."