Last year, I found out that my hometown of Paramus has been a member of Tree City, USA for 32 years, the longest in New Jersey. My county freeholder informed me that Paramus and other Tree City members strive to mantain greenery within the growing urban/suburbanization of the town. Online, Tree City, USA lists the benefits of becoming a member: http://www.arborday.org/programs/treeCityUSA/benefits.cfm.
Mercer County has similarly joined Tree City, USA with towns like Princeton and Hopewell leading the way in this area. It seems quite simple to join. In fact, there are 4 standards that a town must uphold to become a member of Tree City, USA.
- Your city must have a Tree Board or Forestry Department .
- Your city must have a local tree ordinance.
- Your city must spend $2 per capita.
- Your city must promote Arbor Day.
Unfortunately, there are many towns in Mercer County that have not joined Tree City. Even more, bordering towns like Ewing have ignored this simple step to commit to sustainability and greening. It seems that with the know-how from bordering towns, Mercer County should strive to push for Tree City it the surrounding areas. Visit http://www.arborday.org/programs/treeCityUSA/about.cfm for more information.