St. Croix County Forester Dahn Borh, left, and Baldwin Village President Don McGee, second from left, displayed the plaque that designates Baldwin as a Tree City USA at a presentation at Mill Pond Park Friday for Arbor Day. Also pictured are Village Trustee Claire Stein, center, Director of Public Works John Traxler, second from right; and Village Engineer Mike Stoffel. Stein, Traxler and Stoffel also serve on the village's Urban Forestry Committee.
According to Traxler, two of the lindens were donated to the village by St. Croix Tree Service. A third was donated by Ackley Tree Service and the fourth was purchased by the Village.
According to the National Arbor Day Foundation, there are 174 Wisconsin cities that are Tree Cities USA, giving the state the third largest total in the US.
The Tree City USA program is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the USDA Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters. The many benefits of a Tree City USA designation include creating a framework for action, education, a positive public image and citizen pride.
To qualify for Tree City USA status, a village or city must meet four standards. They are: a tree board or department; a tree care ordinance; a community forestry program with an annual budget of at least $2 per capita; and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation.
