Leesburg: We have the trees!

By Andrea Gaines

The Town of Leesburg has been recognized as an official 2020 Tree City USA.

The designation was made by the royals of American tree conservation – the Arbor Day Foundation.  The Arbor Day effort, which provides a framework for communities to manage and expand their public trees stocks, has been active since 1976, and today works with 3,400 communities nationwide.

Leesburg has a long history of tree preservation, accredited in 1989 and recognized every year since.

In some places, this is known as “urban forestry.”  And, it can mean big bucks –  helping with stormwater management and erosion control; cutting energy consumption by double digits (25 percent); and boosting property values.  Community pride and togetherness gets a boost, too.

According to studies, putting an additional three trees around each building in the United States could save $2 billion in energy costs.  Trees boost a property’s value by 7 to 20 percent. The Town of Leesburg has a program goal to plant 2,000 trees. Over the last 20 years the Department of Parks and Recreation and the Department of Public Works and Capital Projects have planted a combined 2,487 two inch caliper trees on Town-owned property.

In addition, nearly 11,000 live stakes and approximately 3,200 seedlings have been installed as part of the Tuscarora Creek Stream Restoration Project. Go trees!

“This significant accomplishment reaffirms the commitment to a healthy tree canopy in Leesburg,” said Urban Forester and Landscape Specialist Tyler Wright. “Thank you to the residents and Town staff for your efforts to keep Leesburg a greener, cleaner, and cooler Town.” 

It’s just a tree, those tall, thin, sometimes old sometimes new things that leaf out every spring, and delight us with their colorful fall foliage.  But trees provide critical wildlife habitat, prevent our homes and businesses from flooding, help us warm our homes with their firewood, give us relief from the heat with their shade, produce fruits and nuts, and so much more.

According to June 2020 numbers, the Tree City USA project benefits hundreds of towns and communities is Virginia, including the nearby areas of Alexandria (in the program for 37 years), Arlington (24 years), Berryville (1 year), Charlottesville (14 years), Fairfax (33 years), Front royal (21 years), Leesburg (31 years), Lovettsville (8 years), Middleburg (19 years), Purcellville (13 years), and Winchester (38 years).