Northern Michigan University biology graduate student Mindy Kantola, back left, helps the Kitchel family plant a tree during Hiawatha Traditional Music Co-op’s celebratory tree planting in 2019. The Kitchel family, from left: Edith, Doug, Grace and Jamie. (Journal file photo by Cecilia Brown)

MARQUETTE — The city of Marquette has again been designated with the Tree City USA honor for promoting and caring for trees within the community.

Marquette is among 124 Michigan communities, nine campuses, one health care institution and one utility recognized with a Tree City, Tree Campus, Tree Campus Healthcare or Tree Line USA designation for 2020.

“Michigan ranks eighth nationally in the number of communities with Tree City designations,” said Kevin Sayers, urban and community forestry specialist with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, in a news release. “Trees are a very important part of the landscape in our cities, towns and villages. They add beauty to college campus and hospital settings, making them more inviting, while also helping to cool sidewalks and clean the air. Properly maintained trees in the spaces around power lines helps improve safety and service, too.”

The certifications are for work accomplished during 2020, and all recipients will receive their awards this month.

The Tree City USA programs promote proper care and management of community trees and calls attention to the multiple benefits they provide.

“The program’s four standards were created so that communities of any size can achieve success,” said Sayers. “The standards that must be met each year are: a city department or tree board, a public tree care ordinance, a community forestry program with an annual budget of at least $2 per capita; and a proclamation about and celebration of Arbor Day, which takes place April 30 this year.”

To find out more about the Arbor Day Foundation’s various Tree USA programs, visit ArborDay .org/Programs.

For questions on the DNR’s Urban and Community Forestry program, contact Sayers at 517-582-3209 or SayersK@Michigan.gov or visit Michigan. gov/UCF.