RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas –
The Arbor Day Foundation recently awarded Randolph Air Force Base "Tree City, USA" status for the 16th consecutive year due to its commitment to community forestry.
The Tree City, USA program is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the National Association of State Foresters and the US Department of Agriculture' s Forest Service.
"A community and its citizens that provide needed care for trees deserve recognition and thanks," said John Rosenow, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. "Cities that are recognized with a Tree City, USA designation go to great lengths to plant and care for the community forest."
There are four standards to become a Tree City USA community; having a tree board or department, a tree care ordinance, a comprehensive community forestry program and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation.
More than 3,300 communities in the country qualified this year for the Tree City, USA designation, said Mark Derowitsch, Arbor Day Foundation public relations manager. A plaque and a special flag both denoting the base's designation as a Tree City will soon be presented to Randolph officials.
Scott Shepherd, 12th Civil Engineering Division natural and cultural resources manager, noted that communities receiving Tree City USA recognition realize the benefits of trees.
"For one, the leaves filter air by removing dust and other particles; in built-up areas, trees reduce the 'heat island' effect caused by pavements and buildings; and trees moderate the climate, conserve water and provide a habitat for wildlife," he said.
Mr. Shepherd said that Randolph is unusual among Air Force bases in Texas because it has so many trees.
"There are more than 7,500 trees on this base," he said. "We here at Randolph represent what amounts to a small oasis in a semi-arid region."
Mr. Shepherd added when one considers that Randolph AFB started as all cotton fields
at its inception in 1929 and is now a community-forested historical site marked for natural re-use, it's no misconception that a lot of time and money has been invested in tree care.
"Randolph's community forest program helps to insure the base continues to be the Show Place of the Air Force," he said.