(Cedar City, UT) - The Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands is hosting the fourth annual Southern Utah Tree City USA Award Luncheon and Municipal Forestry Workshop in Springdale, Monday, April 4, 2011 from 8:30 am to 2:00 pm (Canyon Community Center, 126 Lion Boulevard). The luncheon is being held to recognize the outstanding urban forestry efforts of southern and central Utah communities and to offer continuing tree care education to city employees, tree boards and concerned citizens.

Sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation, the Tree City USA program promotes a standard for urban forestry in cities and towns. To qualify as Tree City USA communities must meet four benchmarks: have a tree board or forestry department, spend more than $2 per capita on tree related expenses, adopt a tree ordinance and celebrate Arbor Day. There are currently a total of 77 Tree City USA communities in Utah.

During the luncheon, 22 communities from southern and central Utah will be awarded with materials from the National Arbor Day Foundation and gifts from Rocky Mountain Power, TreeUtah, and Utah Community Forest Council. Each community will take these materials back and celebrate their Tree City USA status during local Arbor Day celebrations this spring.

Utah’s community forests make a lasting contribution toward improving the quality of life in our communities. The trees planted and maintained not only provide beauty but also provide important and valuable services such as helping to save tens of thousands of dollars by reduce heating and cooling bills, increasing property values by as much as 10%, and enhancing the economic vitality of business areas.

For more information on the 2011 Southern Utah Tree City USA Luncheon and Municipal Forestry Workshop or to learn more about Tree City USA and the importance of community forests, please contact Kelly Washburn, Urban and Community Forester with The Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands at (435) 586-4408 or by email at kellywashburn@utah.gov.