City of Hoquiam to celebrate Arbor Day and Month in April

The City of Hoquiam has proclaimed April as Arbor Month and April 24^th as Arbor Day. To kick off the celebration of Arbor Month, the City of Hoquiam will begin planting trees along Sumner Avenue beginning the week of April 6^th. As the entrance to our community, the Urban Forestry Board identified Sumner Avenue as the perfect spot to begin a tree planting program that will "branch" out to the rest of the community over the coming years.

On April 24^th the City of Hoquiam and Urban Forestry Advisory Board would like to invite the community to celebrate Arbor Day at the Hoquiam Farmer's Market. The celebration will begin at 3:00 p.m. with opening remarks by Mayor Jack Durney. The celebration will include planting of four ginkgo trees in front of the Farmer's Market by the local Brownies, Cub Scouts, Grays Harbor Young Professionals, and the Urban Forestry Advisory Board.

Peter Goldmark, the Commissioner of Public Lands, will be in attendance to present the Tree City USA award to the City for their work in 2008. It is the first year that Hoquiam has received this national recognition. The City has worked diligently over the past two years to achieve Tree City USA Status, which requires that a City have a tree board or department, a tree care ordinance, a comprehensive community forestry program, and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation.

At 4:00 the Arbor Day Riverwalk will begin at the Farmer's Market and will include a walk around the historic downtown riverfront. Participants will visit local businesses along the route and will answer tree trivia questions to be eligible for prizes upon completion of the walk. There is no cost to attend. The first 50 participants to sign up will receive a complementary Arbor Day water bottle.

The City of Hoquiam hopes that all residents and businesses will join in celebrating Arbor Day by planting a tree on their private property or the planting strip in front of their home or business. The City is happy to work with property owners who would like to purchase a tree to install in the planting strip in front of their house. Once a planting permit is obtained and a tree is selected from the approved Tree List, the City can assist in planting of the tree. The City can also provide residents with information about how to properly plant and maintain a tree.