Hendersonville Named Tree City USA Community

For the 20th year in a row, the Arbor Day Foundation has named Hendersonville a Tree City USA Community in honor of its continued commitment to urban forestry.  In order to be honored as a Tree City USA Community, Hendersonville has to maintain a tree board or department (which is legally responsible to care for and manage the city's trees), a community forestry program (with a budget of at least $2 per capita for tree care funding), a tree care ordinance (to put policies in place for caring for community trees) and an official proclamation and observance of Arbor Day.  The love and care of trees is a normal way of life for a community that sits in the natural beauty of Western North Carolina's mountainous region.

How does Hendersonville benefit from being a Tree City USA Community?  Energy consumption can be cut by up to 25% by planting just three trees around every building in the community.  This could translate to $2 billion in energy consumption reduction across the country if it were implemented everywhere.  Trees also reduce costs for erosion control, storm water management and energy by an average of $273 per tree.  Property values increase by approximately 7-21% in neighborhoods that encourage tree planting.  Research also shows that properties in wooded areas rent quicker and the tenants of these property stay longer. 

Hendersonville isn't the only local Western North Carolina city that has been honored as a Tree City USA Community.  Nearby Asheville has been a Tree City USA Community for more than 30 years now.  This shows how important we believe nature is to the health and well-being of our residents.  Just one more reason why I love living in the Hendersonville area.