The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), along with the Arbor Day Foundation, has recognized the City of Thunder Bay with Tree Cities of the World designation. The international programme celebrates cities across all continents that meet core standards for the care and planning of urban trees and forests. 

To achieve recognition, Thunder Bay met the five core standards: establish responsibility, set the rules, know what you have, allocate the resources and celebrate achievements.  

“The Tree Cities of the World programme recognizes the efforts cities take toward greener, healthier communities,” said Hiroto Mitsugi, assistant director general, Forestry Department, FAO. “The most successful urban landscapes are those that have factored trees into the plan. We applaud Thunder Bay’s work to plant and care for its urban trees.” 

“Thunder Bay joins cities around the world that have taken steps toward robust and healthy city forests,” said Dan Lambe, president, Arbor Day Foundation. “Trees clean our air and water, provide shade, and beautify the places we live and work. This designation signifies Thunder Bay’s commitment to being a healthier, happier city.”   

The Tree Cities of the World programme is built off the success of the Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree City USA program, which has provided recognition to cities within the United States for more than 40 years. The vision of the Tree Cities of the World programme is to connect cities around the world in a new network dedicated to sharing and adopting the most successful approaches to managing city trees and forests. 

Trees provide multiple benefits to a city when properly planted and maintained. They help to improve the visual appeal of a neighborhood, increase property values, reduce home cooling costs, remove air pollutants and provide wildlife habitat, among many other benefits. 

More information is available at: TreeCitiesoftheWorld.org. 

 

About the Arbor Day Foundation 

Founded in 1972, the Arbor Day Foundation has grown to become the largest nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees, with more than one million members, supporters and valued partners. Since 1972, more than 350 million Arbor Day Foundation trees have been planted in neighborhoods, communities, cities and forests throughout the world. Our vision is to help others understand and use trees as a solution to many of the global issues we face today, including air quality, water quality, climate change, deforestation, poverty and hunger. 

As one of the world's largest operating conservation foundations, the Arbor Day Foundation, through its members, partners and programmes, educates and engages stakeholders and communities across the globe to involve themselves in its mission of planting, nurturing and celebrating trees. 

More information is available at: arborday.org.

 

About the FAO 

Established in 1945, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), is a Specialized Agency of the United Nations system that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. The Organization is comprised of 194 Member States, 2 associate members and 1 member organization – The European Union. Its aim is to raise levels of nutrition and standards of living for all people in FAO member countries, to secure improvements in the efficiency of production and distribution of food and agricultural products, to ensure the sustainable management of natural resources and to contribute towards expanding the world economy and ensure humanity’s freedom from hunger. FAO is currently present in over 130 countries.  

More information is available at: fao.org.

 

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Contact:       Robert Scott – Emerald Ash Borer Services Coordinator (Intern), 625-3138