City Leaders Celebrate Concord’s Arbor Day at Dorton Park

Autumn is not just a time for leaf peeping, it is also the optimal tree planting season in the City of Concord. That is why the City of Concord's Arbor Day is celebrated each year on the last Friday in October. This year, Mayor Bill Dusch and City Manager Lloyd Payne commemorated the event by planting a Regal Prince Oak at Dorton Park along the Afton Run Greenway and disc golf course. The columnar growth pattern of this type of oak tree will provide shade for the greenway while keeping an open line of site for disc golf players.

City leaders recognize the importance and value of a healthy tree canopy and actively look for opportunities to add trees to City-owned property. This effort is not only part of the City's commitment to responsible urban development as one of the largest and fastest growing communities in North Carolina, but also the City's commitment to enhancing parks and greenways.

A testament to this commitment, the City earned its fifth consecutive Tree City USA designation and received a Tree City USA Growth Award from the Arbor Day Foundation for effective urban forest management. The Growth Award is given alongside the Tree City USA recognition for demonstrating environmental improvement and a higher level of tree care.

The City earned the Tree City USA designation by continuing to meet program's four core standards: a tree conservation 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 City also continues to encourage residents to help support a healthy tree canopy through the Memorial Tree Program and the Energy Saving Trees program. The City partners with the Creation Care team at All Saints' Episcopal Church, Carolina Power Partners, and the Arbor Day Foundation on the Energy Saving Trees program where 300 free trees are given away to Concord homeowners and City of Concord Electric Systems customers. Through the Memorial Tree program, residents can purchase a tree to be planted on City-owned property in memory of a loved one or to commemorate a special event.

Planting the right trees in the right place at the right time not only enhance the appearance of Concord's neighborhoods and parks, but also help improve air and water quality, manage storm water runoff, and can help homeowners reduce their energy costs by up to 20 percent.

City Manager Lloyd Payne and Mayor Bill Dusch planting Regal Prince Oak tree at Dorton Park with Tree City USA flag in background.