May 14, 2024
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Kirkland Arbor Day celebration planned for Friday

Kirkland Tree Commission continues efforts to grow city into Tree City USA

By Camden Lazenby
On April 22, 2024, Kirkland resident Les Barnsback stands next to the Japanese Lilac tree that was planted in front of his home through a cost sharing program created by the Kirkland Tree Commission in 2023.

On April 22, 2024, Kirkland resident Les Barnsback stands next to the Japanese Lilac tree that was planted in front of his home through a cost sharing program created by the Kirkland Tree Commission in 2023. (Provided by Jeff Miller and the Kirkland Tree Commission)

KIRKLAND – Efforts to turn Kirkland into a tree city continue nearly two years after some residents of the village of Kirkland expressed frustration with the village’s government over the removal of dozens of trees for road construction.

Jeff Miller, a member of the Kirkland Tree Commission, which was created in response to the 2022 tree removals, said the public is invited to attended an Arbor Day celebration at 7 p.m. on Friday in Pioneer Park, Pearl St, Kirkland.

Miller said also a Bur Oak tree will be planted in Kirkland’s Pioneer Park during Friday’s Arbor Day celebration.

“Celebrating Arbor Day is something that we want to do because we have made a lot of progress in getting trees for our village, and we are in the process of becoming a tree city. And so we are also going to have an Arbor Day proclamation that will be issued by the village board,” Miller said.

In 2022, Miller and a handful of other Kirkland residents formed the Kirkland Tree Commission after multiple trees were removed that summer. In 2023, the group helped facilitate the planting of nearly 20 trees through its 50-50 tree planting cost match program.

Trees can help to keep pollutants out of waterways and can reduce urban flooding by managing stormwater runoff, according to the Kirkland Tree Commission.

Workers plant a Japanese Lilac tree in front of the home of Kirkland resident Les Barnsback in fall 2023.

Workers plant a Japanese Lilac tree in front of the home of Kirkland resident Les Barnsback in fall 2023. (Provided by Jeff Miller and the Kirkland Tree Commission)

Tree City USA is a 47-year-old Arbor Day Foundation program that encourages urban forests. In 2022, 3,559 municipalities were designated tree cities by the Arbor Day Foundation. According to the foundation’s website, trees and urban forests create cooler temperatures, cleaner air, higher property values and healthier residents.

Miller said the group is developing an urban forestry plan that will help future village residents and workers to manage the growth and monitor the wellbeing of trees with roots in the city.

He’s most looking forward to seeing the village of Kirkland being designated as a Tree City, however.

“It’s going to be very gratifying because it’ll just kind of put a stamp on the kind of village that we want to be, a greener village. And we were very successful last fall with our 50-50 tree planting program. This was something new and it turned out really, really great.”

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