Town of Brookhaven awarded Tree City USA status for second time

Town of Brookhaven awarded Tree City USA status for second time

From left, Councilwoman Valerie Cartright (D-Port Jefferson Station), Councilman Kevin LaValle (R-Selden), Councilwoman Jane Bonner (C-Rocky Point), Supervisor Ed Romaine (R), Town Clerk Donna Lent (R), New York State DEC Supervising Forester John D. Wernet, Councilman Dan Panico (R-Manorville), Councilman Michael Loguercio (R-Ridge) and Councilman Neil Foley (R-Blue Point) . Photo from Town of Brookhaven

At the May 11 Town of Brookhaven board meeting, Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) and the town board were presented with a flag from the Arbor Day Foundation that designates Brookhaven as a Tree City USA. This is the second consecutive year that the town has received that award as a result of the supervisor’s Greening Brookhaven initiative to plant 10,000 trees by 2020, a goal that has already been accomplished, according to Romaine.

The Tree City USA program was established in 1976 as a nationwide movement that provides the framework necessary for communities to manage and expand their public trees. Tree City USA status is achieved 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.