KELLOGG — The city of Kellogg celebrated Arbor Day 2021 by fixing some of the remnants of Mother Nature’s wrath.

After a windstorm ripped through North Idaho in January, several of the longstanding trees in Kellogg’s City Park were left uprooted and laying on the park ground.

Near the park’s popular gazebo, a large prominent pine tree was one of the casualties and has been replaced by a new Japanese Lilac sapling.

“There are two more trees down here that we need to replace and we’ll replace them with either another lilac or a Desert Ash,” said city of Kellogg Superintendent Craig Lewis.

This is Kellogg’s 23rd year with a Tree City, USA, designation.

The Tree City USA program has been greening up cities and towns across America since 1976. It is a nationwide movement that provides the framework necessary for communities to manage and expand their public trees.

“The city of Kellogg should really be proud of this achievement,” Lewis said. “This award is really a positive for our community and we are going to continue to be a part of this program for as long as we can.”

Kellogg is also a former recipient of the Growth Award.

The Growth Award highlights innovative programs and projects, as well as increased commitment of resources for urban forestry as well as provides an opportunity to share new ideas and successes across the country.

Kellogg achieved the recognition by meeting the program’s four requirements: having a tree board or department, a tree care ordinance, an annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita, and having an Arbor Day observance and proclamation.

Trees provide multiple benefits to a community when properly planted and maintained.

They can help improve the visual appeal of a neighborhood, increase property values, reduce home cooling costs, remove air pollutants and provide wildlife habitat among many other benefits.

For more information on the Arbor Day Foundation, or to read more about the benefits of being a designated Tree City, USA, please visit www.arborday.org.