Town of Dover Recognized by Arbor Day Foundation

DOVER – Board of Selectmen Chair John Jeffries, Tree Preservation Committee Chair Valerie Lin and Town Administrator Michael Blanchard are pleased to announce that the Town of Dover has received a “Tree City USA” designation from the Arbor Day Foundation in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters. 

This is Dover’s first recognition by the Arbor Day Foundation. To become recognized by the organization, a town must have a tree board or department, have a community tree-care ordinance, spend at least $2 per capita on urban forestry, and celebrate Arbor Day, which is on the last Friday of April every year. This year, Arbor Day is on Friday, April 26.

“We are honored that the Arbor Day Foundation recognizes our town as a model community for conserving our natural resources,” said Board of Selectmen Chair John Jeffries. “We hope this recognition continues to incentivize our community and its leaders to prioritize our beautiful landscapes.”

The Dover Tree Preservation Committee applied for the designation and has been leading the initiatives to comply with the standards for this recognition. Dover joins a network of more than 3,600 Tree City USA communities throughout the country. 

“Everyone benefits when elected officials, volunteers and committed citizens in communities like Dover make smart investments in urban forests,” said Dan Lambe, Chief Executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “Trees bring shade to our homes and beauty to our neighborhoods, along with numerous economic, social and environmental benefits.”

Trees are important assets to a community, as they increase property values, reduce home cooling costs, remove air pollutants and provide wildlife habitat, among many other benefits.

“The Tree Preservation Committee is thrilled that Tree City USA has awarded us this designation,” said Tree Preservation Committee Chair Valerie Lin. “We can’t wait for our community to utilize our programming this week and celebrate the importance of our forests!”

More information on the Tree City USA designation is available at arborday.org/TreeCityUSA.

The following upcoming events celebrate Arbor Day in the Town of Dover:

• A new tree will be planted in the Highland Cemetery during the month of April to complement the peaceful beauty of our community’s resting place. 
  
• Chickering Elementary School students will celebrate the planting of a new tree on their campus on Friday, April 26, and bring home saplings to plant with their families. Students will learn about the importance of tree conservation through tree-related book displays in the school library and tree-related lesson plans during the week.
  
• The children’s section of the Dover Town Library will have tree-related books and activities available for our young residents throughout the month of April. . More information can be found here: https://dovertownlibrary.org/programs-events/calendar
  
• The Dover Town Library will have a tree-related activity in the adult section throughout the month of April and a book display highlighting the beauty and benefits of trees. There will be a lecture given by one of Dover’s tree arborists on Thursday, April 25 at 6:30 p.m. in the Community Room on the ground floor.

For more information on the Town of Dover’s Tree Preservation Committee, visit https://www.doverma.gov/256/Tree-Preservation-Committee.

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