Lewes to host tree-planting celebration April 26

The City of Lewes has been honored by the Arbor Day Foundation with a Tree City USA designation for 2023.

This marks the 23rd consecutive year Lewes has received the designation. The city achieved Tree City USA recognition by meeting the program’s four requirements: a tree board commissioner, a tree-care ordinance, an annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita, and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation. The Tree City USA program is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters.

To celebrate Arbor Day in Lewes, the city will host a tree-planting demonstration at 8 a.m., Friday, April 26, at Monroe Avenue and Freeman Highway. Sussex Tree Inc. will plant a willow oak. Jeff Meredith, an ISA-certified arborist and owner of Sussex Tree Inc., will give a talk on proper tree planting, maintenance and care. All are welcome to attend this informative free event.

The City of Lewes passed a resolution in 2021 to increase the city forest canopy density from 34.2% percent to 38% over the next 10 years. To monitor progress toward that goal, the city maintains a tree inventory program called ArborScope. It is well known that communities are facing issues with air quality, water resources, personal health and mental well-being, energy resources, and protection from flooding and extreme heat. Trees benefit communities by protecting land from erosion caused by wind and water, providing habitat for wildlife, producing oxygen and cleaning the air, as well as enhancing and beautifying local areas.