Manassas named a Tree City USA for 2015;  Arbor Day festivities on April 22

City of Manassas has been named a 2015 Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation in honor of the City’s commitment to effective urban forest management.  This is the 26th year the City of Manassas has earned this national designation.

To celebrate this accomplishment and in honor of Arbor Day, on April 22 at 10 a.m. the public is invited to attend a program at Nelson Park at 8915 Grant Ave., Manassas, VA.  The program, organized by the Manassas Beautification Committee, features presentations to all of the winners, Kindergarten through Fifth-grade, of the Arbor Day Poster Contest.

As a part of the Arbor Day festivities, the Manassas Garden Club has donated money to assist with beautifying Nelson Park in 2016.  In the coming months seven trees will be removed due to damage by the Emerald Ash Borer.  They will be replaced by spring flowering trees.  The City will be replanting around the fountain area as well, with the help of the Manassas Garden Club.

The City of Manassas achieved Tree City USA recognition by meeting the program’s four requirements: a tree board or department, 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.  For more information on the program, visit http://www.arborday.org/TreeCityUSA.