Tree City USA

The Florida Forest Service administers the Tree City USA program in Florida. Information about the program is available on the Arbor Day Foundation website and the Florida Forest Service website. City and county governments, as well as federal military bases, are eligible for certification. To qualify, they must have a designated tree board, advocacy group, or department in charge of tree management. They must also have an enforced tree ordinance, work plan with an annual budget of at least $2.00 per capita and an annual Arbor Day celebration.

For those who go above and beyond the call of duty, there is the Tree City USA Growth Award. Certified communities who spend at least as much as they did the previous year on their urban tree program can qualify. In addition, they must either initiate new tree management activities, or expand their current activities over the previous year.

Florida’s newest Tree City USA additions:

• Biscayne Park
• Dade City
• Delray Beach
• Dunnellon
• Holmes Beach
• Lake Helen
• Maitland
• Newberry
• Palm Beach Shores
• Palmetto
• Venice

This brings our state total to 160 Tree City USA communities. The following communities in Florida were certified as Tree City USA's for 2010. New applicants are always welcomed.

An application for certification or re-certification can be downloaded in PDF format directly from the Arbor Day Foundation. Completed Tree City USA applications should be sent to:

Florida Forest Service
Forest Management Bureau
3125 Conner Boulevard, C-25
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1650

For further information, please contact Charlie Marcus, Urban Forestry Coordinator for the Florida Forest Service, via E-mail Charles.Marcus@freshfromflorida.com or by calling 850-921-0300.

Tree Campus USA

The Tree Campus USA program recognizes college and university campuses that effectively manage their campus trees; develop connectivity with the community beyond campus borders to foster healthy, urban forests; and strive to engage their student population utilizing service learning opportunities centered on campus, and community, forestry efforts. For further information, please visit the Arbor Day Foundation or Florida Forest Service web sites.

Florida's first certified Tree Campus USA recipients, effective January 2010:

• Florida International University of Key Biscayne
• Florida Gulf Coast University of Fort Myers
• College of Central Florida College of Ocala
• Florida Atlantic University of Jupiter
• University of Central Florida of Orlando

Tree Line USA

The Arbor Day Foundation, in cooperation with the National Association of State Foresters, recognizes public and private utilities that demonstrate practices that protect and enhance America's urban forests. The Tree Line USA program promotes the dual goals of safe, reliable electric service and abundant, healthy trees across utility service areas. For further information, please visit the Arbor Day Foundation web site.

Florida Tree Line USA 2010 participants include:

• City of Tallahassee Electric
• Florida Keys Electric Coop
• Florida Power & Light Co.
• Lakeland Electric
• Ocala Utility Service
• Orlando Utilities Commission
• Progress Energy
• Sumter Electric Coop
• Tampa Electric