Pictured: Poster Contest 2nd Place Winner Elijah Pittman (East Elementary); Poster Contest 1st Place Winner Myra Arnold (East Elementary); Mayor Max A. Townson, Arborist Darrell Johns, Tree Commission Chairman Everett Wier, Albert Mayo of the Forestry Commission, Poster Contest 1st Place Winner Olivia Dudley (St. Paul’s), Poster Contest 2nd Place Winner Kathryn Dueland (St. Paul’s) and students from Ms. Ashley Lochridge’s fifth-grade class of St. Paul’s Lutheran School.
CULLMAN – The Arbor Day Foundation has designated Cullman, Alabama, a Tree City USA community for the 28th consecutive year!
The Tree City USA program is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the National Association of State Foresters and the USDA Forestry Service. Four standards must be met in order to become a Tree City USA: (1) The community must have a tree board or department. (2) The community must have a tree care ordinance. (3) The community must have a forestry program with annual expenditures of at least $2 per capita. (4) The community must have an Arbor Day observance and proclamation.
On Feb. 25, Cullman Mayor Max A. Townson, City Arborist Darrell Johns, Albert Mayo of the Alabama Forestry Commission, Cullman Tree Commission members Everett Wier (Chairman) and Helen Marie Dahlke, and others met at Cullman City Hall for the official Tree City USA Dedication Ceremony. During the ceremony, which took place on the front lawn of City Hall in sunny, but blustery, weather, the winners of the annual Arbor Day Poster Contest were honored. Townson presented $25 checks to 1st Place winners Myra Arnold (East Elementary) and Olivia Dudley (St. Paul’s Elementary). Second place winners Elijah Pittman (St. Paul’s Elementary) and Kathryn Dueland (East Elementary) received $15 checks.
Townson also presented the official Arbor Week Proclamation to Johns, proclaiming the week of Feb. 21-27, 2016 “Arbor Week” in the City of Cullman. The mayor encouraged all citizens to support efforts to care for our trees and woodlands and to support our city’s Community Forestry Program.
Cullman Forestry Specialist Albert Mayo presented the mayor with the official Tree City USA flag and other materials. The Tree City USA flag was raised in front of Cullman City Hall, where it will fly for one year.
The annual Tree Seedling Sale was also held on Feb. 25. Tree seedlings of a variety of species were sold, with the proceeds benefiting the Forestry Awareness Week program.
For more information on trees or the Tree City USA program contact the Cullman County Forestry office at cullman.county@forestry.alabama.gov or 256-734-0573, or visit www.arborday.org/TreeCityUSA.
