Tree City USA

The Tree City USA program has been greening up cities and towns across America since 1976. It is a nationwide movement that provides the framework necessary for communities to manage and expand their public trees.

In 2016, Amery became a Tree City USA. The community has achieved Tree City USA status by meeting four core standards of sound urban forestry management: maintaining a tree board or department, having a community tree ordinance, spending at least $2 per capita on urban forestry and celebrating Arbor Day.

The City of Amery is committed to protecting trees because of the benefits that they have to our environment and quality of life, including but not limited to:

• adding value to your home
  • Landscaping, especially with trees, can increase property values as much as 20 percent. Management Information Services/ICMA
• cooling you home and neighborhood
  
  • The net cooling effect of a young, healthy tree is equivalent to ten room-size air conditioners operating 20 hours a day. U.S. Department of Agriculture
• breaking the winds to lower your heating costs
  • Trees properly placed around buildings can save 20–50 percent in energy used for heating. USDA Forest Service
• attracting businesses
  • Trees can be a stimulus to economic development, attracting new business and tourism. Commercial retail areas are more attractive to shoppers, apartments rent more quickly, tenants stay longer, and space in a wooded setting is more valuable to sell or rent. The Arbor Day Foundation
• improving our water quality
  • The planting of trees means improved water quality, resulting in less runoff and erosion. This allows more recharging of the ground water supply. Wooded areas help prevent the transport of sediment and chemicals into streams. USDA Forest Service