The City of Washington was recently awarded for their dedication to the importance of trees in its community.

The annual Urban Forestry Awards which was held virtually earlier this month presented a Tree City USA Award and Tree City USA Growth Award to Washington on behalf of the Arbor Day Foundation and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. To qualify for a Tree City USA Award, a city must either have a city forester or an active 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. To qualify for the growth award, cities must provide education and public relations, partnerships, planning and management, and tree planting and maintenance in their community. Washington has had the Tree City USA designation for over 30 years, and they plan to have their annual tree giveaway at 8 a.m. May 15th at the Washington County Fairgrounds.