Paramount has been named a Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation in honor of its commitment to effective urban forest management.
The City received the distinction by meeting the Foundation’s four requirements: a tree board or department, a tree care ordinance, an annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita, and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation.
“We love and protect our trees in Paramount,” said Mayor Diane J. Martinez. “There are more than 8,000 trees in our public spaces, which is about 1,800 per square mile. And that doesn’t count the thousands more on private property. Being named a Tree City USA is a great honor, and we thank the Arbor Day Foundation for the acknowledgement.”
Trees provide multiple benefits to a community when properly planted and maintained. They help to improve the visual appeal of a neighborhood, increase property values, remove air pollutants, reduce home cooling costs, provide wildlife habitat, and more.
“Tree City USA communities see the impact an urban forest has in a community first hand,” said Dan Lambe, president of the Arbor Day Foundation. “Additionally, recognition brings residents together and creates a sense of community pride, whether it’s through volunteer engagement or public education.”
In celebration of Arbor Day last year, the City held its Community Arbor Day Celebration and Tree Planting Event on April 28. Hundreds of volunteers came out on a Saturday morning to add 200 new trees to Paramount’s parks and along its streets.
Recognized at the event were representatives from Amigos de los Rios, the group that helped organize the “tree steward” volunteers and conducted outreach efforts, and West Coast Arborist, the City’s vendor that donated the saplings. Special guest was Assemblymember and Speaker of the Assembly Anthony Rendon. All of them were recognized as members of the Paramount “Green Team.”
The City’s next Arbor Day observance will be a public fruit-tree giveaway at the Eco-Friendly Fair on April 13 at the Civic Center.
More information on the Tree City USA program is available at arborday.org/TreeCityUSA. The Arbor Day Foundation is a million-member nonprofit conservation and education organization with the mission to inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees. More information is available at arborday.org.
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