Background on the Arbor Day Tree Planting Ceremony and the Tree City USA Program

This ceremony is being held to celebrate trees and the many benefits that trees provide. The tradition of setting aside a special day for the planting of trees dates back to 1872. This special day, called Arbor Day, was first observed with the planting of more than a million trees in Nebraska. The year 2019 is the 147th anniversary of this special day. Arbor Day is now observed throughout the nation and the world as well as through the Tree City USA Program. The Tree City USA program, sponsored by the National Arbor Day Foundation, was established in 1976. For the past 17 years, Fayetteville has been designated as a Tree City USA. To maintain its designation as a Tree City USA, Fayetteville has to meet four criteria each year: it must have a public tree ordinance, it must have a Tree Board, it must support a forestry program with an annual budget of at least $2 per capita, and it must support an annual Arbor Day observance. At the ceremony on March 22, 2019, Fayetteville will be recognized for meeting these four criteria in 2018. Communities interested in being a Tree City USA should go to

h�ps://www.arborday.org/programs/treecityusa/

Sponsors This ceremony is being sponsored by the City-County Joint Appearance Commission/Fayetteville Tree Board, the Cumberland County Schools, the Cumberland County Cooperative Extension Service, the Fayetteville-

Cumberland Parks and Recreation Department, and the NC Forest Service.

Acknowledgements

The following organizations and individuals made this ceremony possible:

Glendale Acres Elementary School (Dr. Julie Dees, Pr incipal; Students and Teachers)

Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks & Rec Dept -(Michael Gibson, Anthony Ramsey, John Adams, David Smith, Robert Avina)

Cumberland Co Cooperative Ext (Lisa Childer s, J ason Weathington)

Fayetteville Tree Board-(Helen Haynes-Chair, Bill Vurnakes, Robert Lints)

Joint Appearance Commission-(Robert Lints-Chair, Chris Davis-Vice-Chair, Latara Ray, Charlotte Dawson, Sally Bailey, Christy Horne, Johnny Sawyer, Plus Fayetteville Tree Board Members)

North Carolina Forest Service-(Robert White, Mindy Hidenfelter)

Cumberland County-(Sally Shutt, Jon Soles, Geneva Mankel, Aaron Barnes)

City of Fayetteville-(Kevin Arata, Nathan Walls, Andrew Johnson, Jennifer Ayre, David Nash)

Tree Donors

Taylor’s Nursery-Raleigh

Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks and Recreation Department-Tree Planting Fund

Arbor Day

Tree Planting Ceremony

Glendale Acres Elementary School

March 22, 2019

Program ______________________________________________________

Welcome

Robert Lints, Chair, Joint Appearance Commission

Helen Haynes, Chair, Fayetteville Tree Board

Dr. Julie Dees, Principal, Glendale Acres Elementary School

Greetings from Cumberland County Schools

Lindsay A. Whitley, Chief Executive Community

Engagement & Communications Officer

Proclamation from the City of Fayetteville

Johnny Dawkins, Member, Fayetteville City Council,

District 5

Proclamation from Cumberland County

Charles Evans, Cumberland County Board of Commissioners

Tree City USA Recognition

Robert White, North Carolina Forest Service

The Importance of Horticulture

Jason Weathington, Horticulture Agent,

Cumberland County Cooperative Extension Service

The Benefits of Trees

Students from Glendale Acres Elementary School

Tree Planting Ceremony

Students from Glendale Acres Elementary School

Group Photos of All Participants

Please listen for instructions

Announcements and Comments

Open to anyone who would like to speak.

Closing Remarks

Dr. Julie Dees, Principal, Glendale Acres Elementary School

Helen Haynes, Chair, Fayetteville Tree Board

Robert Lints, Chair, Joint Appearance Commission