Southgate has been given a Tree City USA award by the Arbor Day Foundation for the 17th year in a row.
Recreation and community events council member Aileen Okura announced the award during a Jan. 4 city council meeting.
“Sometime around March we’ll get our usual little plaque for the wall, and our street signs will be updated,” she said.
Southgate is one of more than 3,600 cities Tree City USA recognizes. The awards are a way to celebrate towns that make an effort to take care of their tree cover. Each city must have a park and tree board, participate in Arbor Day, have a tree care ordinance and a community forestry program.
Southgate’s community center is one example of why it wins awards. The center overlooks a lake and woods, with a walking trail that connects to Newport and Wilder. She also said the park and tree board—which plans an Arbor Day celebration, writes grants, and works on various projects—should have at least three new members. Last year, with a few board members moving on, the board fell into inactive status. However, with new members, the board will be reactivated.