Richmond Hill named Tree City of the World

Program recognizes leadership in maintaining, growing urban forest

Yorkregion.com
March 11, 2021
Laura Broadley

The City of Richmond Hill has been named a Tree City of the World by the Arbor Day Foundation and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

The international recognition is for its leadership in maintaining and growing its urban forest. It is one of only 15 cities in Canada and 120 cities worldwide to receive the designation.

To become a Tree City, a community must meet five core standards that illustrate a commitment to caring for its trees and forests. These standards include establishing responsibility, setting rules, knowing what you have, allocating resources and celebrating achievements.

“We are proud to be recognized as international leaders in protecting our urban forest. Trees are an important part of building a sustainable, resilient and healthy community and we are committed to preserving and protecting them,” said acting Mayor Joe DiPaola.

Richmond Hill’s many programs, bylaws and planting initiatives help manage, protect and grow trees on public and private property.

Richmond Hill launched its first urban forest management plan, which strengthens its ability to preserve and enhance the nearly 2.6 million trees and shrubs that make up Richmond Hill’s urban forest.

This is the second year of the Tree Cities program, which aims to connect cities around the world in a new network dedicated to sharing and adopting the most successful approaches to managing community trees and forests, according to the City of Richmond Hill.

To learn more about how Richmond Hill is managing its urban forest, go to RichmondHill.ca/UrbanForestPlan.

For more information on the Tree City of the World program, go to www.treecitiesoftheworld.org.