When people witness vast amounts of clear-cutting of trees, it is a common question to ask “How can this be a ‘Tree City?’“

Why this matters: To understand the range of claims from a city being “a fraud” to the other extreme of using it as marketing on environmental commitments.

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“Tree City” qualification requirements are established by the Arbor Day Foundation. To qualify, a city only needs to attest to four basic standards:

1. Has a designated tree board or department responsible for its public trees
2. Community has a public tree care ordinance
3. Has a dedicated annual budget and/or in-kind contributed resources of at least $2 per capita for trees and tree care
4. Hosts an annual Arbor Day event each year

While it may seem like a contraindication for the label when big trees are taken down or large pieces of land are clearcut, it has more to do with the limited scope defined by the Arbor Day Foundation than anything else. Each year, a municipality is required to resubmit confirmation the requirements are still being met.

You can speculate on why it is limited. There are legal complexities with privately-held land, but public lands can be held to higher standards regarding canopy protection. Ultimately it is up to each individual and/or city to advocate for strong tree protections on land they can control.

The Arbor Day Foundation does promote education, strong tree ordinances and replanting efforts, but if there was room for improvement – it would be protection standards for healthy, mature hub trees and recognition of their vital contributions to biodiversity and healthy ecosystems.

In Macomb County, Michigan, here are some notable land conservancy organizations worth supporting:

• Six Rivers Land Conservancy
• Michigan Nature Association