Milton is, once again, a Tree City USA – signifying our ongoing commitment to promoting, nurturing, and celebrating trees and their benefits.

This is the 17^th consecutive year that Milton has earned this honor from the non-profit Arbor Day Foundation. And it comes on the 50^th anniversary overall of the foundation’s Tree City USA program, which aims to recognize communities that see trees as valuable means to bolster the environment, enhance quality of life, and generally make hometowns healthier, greener, and stronger. 

“Tree champions like Milton are leading the way in a growing movement to shape a better future with trees and action,” said Michelle Saulnier, the Arbor Day Foundation’s Vice President of Programs. “Trees are critical infrastructure, building resiliency and fostering good health in our nation’s cities.” 

In addition to their innate natural beauty, trees impact communities positively in many ways such as helping mitigate heat, reducing stormwater runoff, and improving air quality. In Milton, they also contribute significantly to a picturesque landscape and our city’s unique feel whether they’re in parks, along roadsides, or in yards. 

Sandra Dewitt – Milton’s former City Arborist and now its Land Development Administrator – accepted Milton’s latest Tree City USA distinction earlier this month in Augusta. Milton earned it by satisfying the four Tree City requirements by having a full-time City Arborist, a tree conservation ordinance, spending of at least $2 per capita on forestry investments, and holding an annual Arbor Day celebration. To that last point, specifically: All are invited to this year’s Arbor Day festivities starting at 10 a.m. on Friday, February 20, in Bell Memorial Park’s Mark Law Arboretum. 

That’s just some of what Milton does in support of trees. The City’s award-winning Plant! Milton initiative (as seen at www.miltonga.gov/PlantMilton) is a multi-faceted campaign dedicated to engaging, educating, and encouraging citizens to plant and properly maintain trees. The Mark Law Arboretum, along a well-tread trail at Bell Memorial Park, features about 30 species of trees along with informational signage. And City Arborist Shannon Fitzgerald regularly provides tree-related insights on Milton’s Facebook page as part of our “Ask the Arborist” feature. (If you have a general question for her, ask it by email at askthearborist@miltonga.gov.) 

“There’s no shortage of ways that trees make Milton better, which is why we work hard to encourage planting, preserving, and protecting them,” said Fitzgerald. “This Tree City USA honor speaks to these critical efforts, which we are committed to continuing for years to come.”