Tree City USA is a national program from the Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the US Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters. The program has been greening cities and towns across the United States since 1976.

Tree City Communities

The state of Hawaiʻi has been proudly participating in the program since the first year with our first community, Maui joining in 1976. Today, Hawaiʻi boasts ten Tree City USA communities. We continue to grow and are happy to welcome new communities each year. The program provides the framework necessary for communities to manage and expand their public trees. 

Maui, 1976 Maui is the longest running Tree City USA community in Hawaiʻi  City and County of Honolulu, 1980 Joint Base Pearl Harbor/Hickam, 1998 Schofield Barracks, 2008 Aliamanu Military Reservation, 2011 Helemano Military Reservation, 2011 Fort Shafter, 2011 Wheeler Army Airfield, 2011 Arbor Day Celebration at Wheeler Army Airfield in 2017 Mililani Town, 2018 2018 Tree City USA celebration for Mililani Town Ohana Military Communities, Navy 2018 Ohana Military Communities, MCBH 2020 Welcoming Ohana Military Communities to the Tree City USA Program in 2018

Tree Campus Communities

The Tree Campus Higher Education program is also from the Arbor Day Foundation and allows colleges and universities join the national program! This program helps them establish and sustain healthy community forests. Tree Campus are required to meet the same standards as Tree City USA communities with an additional Service Learning Project aimed at engaging the student body. 

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, 2008 The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa was honored with the 2019 Tree Campus USA® recognition by the Arbor Day Foundation for its commitment to effective urban forest management Windward Community College, 2019

Kapiʻolani Community College, 2019

Is your community interested in becoming a Tree City? 

Tree City USA communities are required to establish all of the following:

1. a Tree Board or Department
2. a Community Tree Ordinance
3. a Community Forestry Program with a minimum of at least $2 per capita
4. an Arbor Day Observance and Proclamation

Learn more about the Tree City USA program on Arbor Day Foundation’s website 

Applications are due December 31st each year. Reach out to Kaulunani staff to start your application today!