“I am honored that we are again recognized as a city that cares about its tree canopy. When I took office in 2001, one of my goals was to make Miami a greener city through increased tree plantings and care. We have worked hard to achieve that goal and I am grateful to the Arbor Day Foundation for their recognition of our effort”, said Mayor Manny Diaz.

For the second year, Miami has met the standards to become a Tree City USA community by: having a tree board or department, a tree ordinance, a comprehensive community forestry program, and an Arbor Day observance.

“A community, its elected officials and its citizens that provide needed care for its tress deserves recognition and thanks,” said John Rosenow, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “They recognize that trees are a vital component of the infrastructure in our cities and towns, providing environmental and economical benefits.”

The City’s official Arbor Day celebration will take place on National Arbor Day, Friday April 24th, which also coincides with the beginning of the rainy season. On that day, the City of Miami will plant over 150 in Little Haiti in partnership with Hands On Miami and many community volunteers.

Mayor Diaz has lead a proactive and ambitious environmental program to clean streets, waterways, brown fields, storm drains, as well as improve air and water quality. Among that Mayor’s many environmental initiatives underway in Miami is the City’s first-ever Tree Master Plan, which creates minimum standards in order to enhance, restore and stabilize the City’s tree canopy cover by a minimum of 30 percent by 2017. To see a complete list of the Mayor’s sustainable initiatives, please log on to http://www.miamigov.com/cms/mayor/4060.asp

For more information on the National Arbor Day Foundation and Tree City USA, please log on to www.arborday.org/TreeCityUSA