The Arbor Day Foundation awarded the village of Lake in the Hills a Tree City USA Growth Award to honor its commitment to effective urban forest management.

A Growth Award is bestowed to a community alongside its Tree City USA recognition for demonstrating environmental improvement and a higher level of tree care, according to a news release.

The Growth Award recognizes major milestones and annual activities in five categories on a point-based system to build sustainable community forestry programs over the long term.

Lake in the Hills has been recognized as a Tree City USA for 18 consecutive years and has previously earned the Growth Award 10 times.