Cookeville Tree Board records

The Cookeville Tree Board started its beginnings on April 7, 1988 after resolution #88205 was signed by Mayor Dwight Henry and City Council approved the Resolution that July. The Board contained 11 members, serving three-year terms, six standing members include directors from Leisure Services, Public Works, the Electric Department, and Community Development, and a member from the State Division of Forestry and Tennessee Technological Institute. The mayor appoints the members at large and City Council performs the final review of the Tree Board decisions. The Tree Board’s primary goal was to create a comprehensive plan for trees and tree planting in Cookeville. The Board worked with ordinances for trees in the city of Cookeville, including in public areas, parks, and streets. The first meeting included a plan to increase trees in Cookeville, not just by numbers, but quality. The goal was to be recognized by the National Arbor Day Association as a Tree City USA. The National Arbor Day Association requires that a city must have a tree board, a tree ordinance, funding and planning for a tree program, and programs for Arbor Day annually. The Board worked with the Utilities Department to create a Utility Forester position and began holding workshops to teach businesses and individuals about tree care. It developed numerous educational materials and received a grant from the Small Business Administration Tree Planting Grant. It also worked with schools and the community, sponsoring Arbor Day events and giving 1500 trees away on Earth Day. These along with numerous other educational programs and planting activities earned Cookeville the recognition of being a Tree City USA and it continued to receive this as of 2015.