Team Fairchild receives growth award

Published April 16, 2012
By Staff Sgt. Michael Means
92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs

FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. -- Members of Team Fairchild supported the base's 18th year of participation in Arbor Day at the Survival School Campus here April 13.

"I love coming to Fairchild for Arbor Day," said Garth Davis, Spokane County Conservation District forester. "You guys know how to do it right. 18 years is longer than any other community in Eastern Washington, and you've also earned a growth award."

The Tree City USA Growth Award is provided by The Arbor Day Foundation, in cooperation with the National Association of State Foresters and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service, to recognize environmental improvement and encourage higher levels of tree care throughout America. This award is designed not only to recognize achievement, but also to communicate new ideas and help the leaders of all Tree City USA's plan for improving community tree care.

Col. Ronald Baldinger, 336th Training Group commander, accepted the Tree City growth award and shoveled the first scoops of dirt for five new trees being planted. He was joined by more than 30 students from the base's Michael Anderson Elementary School.

"It is my honor to accept the Tree City Award for Team Fairchild," Baldinger said. "In the 18 years Fairchild has participated in Arbor Day, we have planted more than 2,500 trees."

According to the National Arbor Day Foundation, cities have to meet certain criteria to be called a Tree City. There has to be a tree board or department, there must be an observance for Arbor Day and there has to be a tree care ordinance.

The idea for Arbor Day, which literally means, "Tree Day," first originated in Nebraska by J. Sterling Morton. Morton and his wife were adamant tree lovers and as such promoted the planting of trees and shrubs in response to the state's lack of trees.

Morton was a journalist and Nebraska newspaper editor who used his position to spread agricultural information and advocated for tree planting in his articles and editorials. Eventually, he became secretary of the Nebraska Territory.

On Jan. 4, 1872, Morton first proposed Arbor Day.

Today, every state observes the holiday and more than 3,400 communities are currently a Tree City USA.

The most common date for the observances is the last Friday in April, but a number of states celebrate at other times to coincide with the best tree planting weather.

For more information and to see what it takes to get involved, visit: http://www.arborday.org/arborday/.

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