Redmond receives Growth Award from Arbor Day Foundation

REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Redmond is among 20 Oregon communities participating in the Tree City USA program that have received a Growth Award from the national Arbor Day Foundation.

The awards are given to programs that showed higher levels of tree care and community engagement with their urban forestry programs and activities during 2021. 

To be eligible for the award, a city must have been enrolled as a Tree City USA for at least one year. Sixty-nine Oregon towns and cities are qualified as a Tree City USA, including the return of Reedsport to the program. 

This is the second Growth Award Redmond has earned in 17 years as a Tree City USA community. It is one of only two towns in Oregon east of the Cascades to achieve a Growth Award, the other being La Grande, which has earned the award 30 times.

The Growth Award program is designed to help communities build upon their Tree City USA status and grow their urban forestry programs. Several activities qualify, such as:

• revamping a tree ordinance
• conducting a tree inventory or tree-worker safety training
• holding a tree-themed community event for the public
• improving social equity outreach 
• starting a wood-recycling program

Each activity is worth from 1 to 10 points. Communities must describe their activities and add up their points. Communities must score at least 10 points in a given year to earn a Growth Award. 

Others receiving the award for activities in 2021 and the number of times they’ve been honored were:

Portland – 25

Medford – 20

Beaverton – 18

Eugene – 17

Salem – 16

Corvallis – 13

Wilsonville – 12 

Forest Grove – 8

Cottage Grove – 5

Milwaukie, Talent, West Linn – 3

Aumsville, Bandon, Central Point, Hillsboro and Newport – 1 

Several cities are also marking milestone anniversaries in the program, including Sisters, which is celebrating 15 years as a Tree City USA. Others include:

Portland – 45 years

Tillamook, Tualatin and Sweet Home – 35 years

Eagle Point – 30 years 

McMinnville – 25 years

Lebanon and Monmouth – 20 years

Gervais and Sisters – 15 years

Newport, Independence and Oregon City – 10-years 

The Oregon Department of Forestry administers the Tree City USA program in Oregon on behalf of the Arbor Day Foundation. ODF Urban and Community Forestry Assistance Program Manager Kristin Ramstad is gratified to see the engagement in Oregon communities around urban trees. 

“The COVID-19 pandemic continued to be very disruptive last year, forcing the cancellation of many in-person events. Despite that, many Oregon cities and towns still accomplished a lot in terms of improving tree care even as they worked to recover from ice storms and a record-shattering heatwave. And cities became very creative in how they engage with the public while keeping social distance,” said Ramstad.

More information about the awards program is here.