We’re Keeping it Green: The City of Southlake Receives Tree City USA Award

The City of Southlake received the Tree City USA Award for its 24th year in a row! The award was presented by the Arbor Day Foundation, a non-profit conservation and education organization with a mission to inspire people to plant, celebrate, and nurture trees.

The City of Southlake was among 3,400 communities that were recognized through the Tree City USA program.

To achieve this honor, the City met all four requirements of the program: forming a tree board or department, creating a tree-care ordinance, having an annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita, and celebrate Arbor Day.

“The City has been heavily involved in Arbor Days,” Senior Director of Planning and Development Services Ken Baker said during his presentation at the April 19 City Council meeting. “We have a strong tradition of promoting trees in the City, protecting trees, and integrating trees into our development.”

Baker also stated that Southlake was one of the first cities in Texas to develop a tree preservation ordinance that took place in 1993.

“The goal of that ordinance is to further preserve the mature trees and natural area, protect trees during construction, and facilitate design and construction that contribute to the sustainability of trees, Baker said.”

In addition to the Tree City USA award, the Arbor Day Foundation also presented the City of Southlake with the Tree City Growth Award for demonstrating higher levels of tree care and community engagement through programs, public education, and continued training.\

“The City offers a number of programs related to trees, from education to permitting to tree removal,” Baker said, “We have free assessment services for our customers who want to learn about trees and the Street Tree Program.”

For more information about Southlake’s efforts in urban forestry management and tree preservation programs, please visit the Planning and Development Services website or call 817-748-8621.

If you would like to watch Baker’s full City Council presentation, it can be found on the City of Southlake’s website.