Belle Plaine receives Tree City Award

DES MOINES – Every year the Urban Forestry Awards luncheon recognizes cities, college campuses and utilities that demonstrate a variety of dedication to the importance of trees in their respective communities.

Belle Plaine is among the 2024 award winners.

To qualify for the Tree City USA award, a city must have either a city forester or an active city tree board, have a tree ordinance, spend at least $2 per capita annually for its community forestry program and have a tree planting and maintenance plan.

Awards will be presented April 4 at the FFA Enrichment Center in Ankeny, on behalf of the Arbor Day Foundation and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

In addition to Belle Plaine, award recipients are Adel, Ames, Arnolds Park, Atlantic, Bettendorf, Bondurant, Boone, Burlington, Carlisle, Carroll, Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids, Clarinda, Clarksville, Clinton, Clive, Coralville, Council Bluffs and Cresco.

Also Davenport, Decorah, Denver, Des Moines, DeWitt, Dubuque, Dysart, Fort Dodge, Gladbrook, Glenwood, Greene, Grimes and Grundy Center.

Also Hampton, Hiawatha, Hillsboro, Hopkinton, Hudson, Indianola, Iowa City, Jefferson, Johnston, Livermore, Luxemburg, Manchester, Maquoketa, Marion, Marquette, Marshalltown, Mason City, Maxwell, Muscatine andNevada.

Newton, North Liberty, Odebolt, Oelwein, Oskaloosa, Ottumwa, Pleasant Hill, Polk City, Red Oak, Sioux City, Spencer, Story City, Tipton, Urbandale, Van Horne, Washington, Waterloo, Waverly, Webster City, West Des Moines and Winterset.

Kirkwood Community College was one of the recipients of the Tree campus USA award. To qualify, a campus must have a campus Tree Advisory Committee, a tree care plan, a tree program with dedicated annual expenditures, an annual Arbor Day observance and a service learning project to engage the student body.

Other recipients are Divine Word College, Drake University, Hawkeye Community College, Iowa State University, University of Iowa and William Penn University.