COEUR d’ALENE— For over 40 years, Coeur d’Alene has been one of thousands of Tree City USAs. 

The city’s commitment to keeping an arboreal community alive makes it one of the oldest tree cities in Idaho. 

To be recognized as a Tree City USA, a community must meet four standards: a tree board or department, tree care ordinances, a community forestry program and an Arbor Day observance.  

“Arbor Day is a good reminder for people to replenish our landscape. It is a solid reminder of what trees provide,” said Nick Goodwin, an arborist at Bartlett Tree Experts.

A piece of this year’s Arbor Day celebration was the planting of 17 trees along the City Beach seawall Friday. 

Students from Ramsey Elementary and Bartlett Tree Experts worked together to plant several Prairie Fire and Starlite Crabapple trees in large, self-watering pots. 

“It is great to see young people taking part in their community. These trees will stay in the community for years to come,” said Shane O’Shea. 

Over the next 15 years, the trees will grow to heights of up to 40 feet. City workers eventually move them to different locations after they outgrow their current pots and replant them throughout the community. 

Bartlett and the Coeur d’Alene Garden Club held a seedling giveaway alongside the tree planting. They gave away deciduous Purple Lilac, Kousa Dogwood, Japanese Zelkova and Katsura trees, along with several coniferous trees. 

Mayor Dan Gookin showed up during the warm sunny morning event to read the city’s Arbor Day proclamation and talk with students about the holiday. 

Several community members stopped by the event to collect a free seedling and enter a drawing for a medium-sized Purple Fountain Beech tree.

Angela Pool was excited to get her free seedlings planted and was asked how she hoped the trees would look in her gardens. 

“I’ll let you know in a couple of years,” she said.

John Schwandt, the president of the nonprofit organization Arbor Day of North Idaho, discussed why he believes trees are so valuable to the area. 

“People love areas with trees, they have aesthetic value as important as they have climate value. It's almost like air conditioning free of charge,” Schwandt said.    

Schwandt also talked about the American Chestnut, of which City Park famously sports a trio. 

American Chestnuts, mostly known for their beauty and prevalence on the East Coast, were largely wiped from their natural habitat by a blight during the 1930s and '40s. 

The City Park Chestnuts are as old as they are rare, living long enough for one of them to eclipse 100 feet in height. 

“Those American Chestnuts are some of the biggest in the country,” said Schwandt.  

In 1905, Frederick Blackwell funded the construction of Blackwell Park, now known as City Park, and called for the planting of several unique tree species. 

The trio of American Chestnuts is believed to have been planted during construction, marking more than a century of tree planting in the park.

    Melinda Longsworth, Vivianna Finney, Rhoda King and Debbie Mykkanen smile while handing out seedlings.