Florida Forest Service Celebrates Florida’s Arbor Day, Encourages Communities to Become Tree City USA Certified

To celebrate Florida’s Arbor Day on Friday, Jan. 19, the Florida Forest Service will join communities throughout the state in several tree planting projects, tree seedling giveaways and forestry education activities to highlight the benefits of trees. Florida’s Arbor Day is held each year on the third Friday in January. A list of Florida’s Arbor Day festivities in your area can be found on the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ events calendar.
Florida is currently home to a record-breaking 179 Tree City USA communities, which is the most in state history and ranks fourth in the nation. Tree City USA communities are recognized by the Arbor Day Foundation for their proactive effort to manage and expand public trees, which help moderate temperature extremes, reduce storm water runoff and absorb air pollutants.
“We encourage all Florida communities to work with their local county forester to become official Tree City USA communities and expand their public trees,” said Jim Karels, Florida State Forester.
Communities can achieve Tree City USA status by meeting four core standards of sound urban forestry management, including: maintaining a tree board or department, having a community tree ordinance, spending at least $2 per capita on urban forestry and celebrating Arbor Day.
The Florida Forest Service, a division of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, manages more than 1 million acres of state forests and provides forest management assistance on more than 17 million acres of private and community forests. The Florida Forest Service is also responsible for protecting homes, forestland and natural resources from the devastating effects of wildfire on more than 26 million acres.