La Grande earns Tree City USA recognition for 36th consecutive year
By Garrett Christensen on Tuesday, March 31st, 2026 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
LA GRANDE – (Release from La Grande Parks and Recreation) The Arbor Day Foundation named La Grande a 2025 Tree City USA in honor of the City’s commitment to plant, grow, and maintain trees to benefit the community. This is La Grande’s 36th year in a row earning this recognition.
Tree City USA requires cities to meet four requirements: a tree board or department, a tree-care ordinance, an annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita, and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation.
La Grande also received its thirty-fourth Tree City USA Growth Award. The Growth Award is given to recognize higher levels of tree care by participating Tree City USA communities and highlights innovative urban forestry programs and projects. La Grande has received more Growth Awards than any other Oregon city. Expanded community volunteers and collaboration, new tree planting and maintenance plans, and a three-year grant from the Oregon Department of Forestry to focus on lower canopy neighborhoods in the city, all helped La Grande’s Urban Forestry Program qualify for its latest Growth Award.
“Trees are critical infrastructure, building resiliency and fostering good health in our nation’s cities. We’re proud La Grande is among the Arbor Day Foundation’s growing network of communities dedicated to creating positive impact through trees,” said Michelle Saulnier, Vice President of Programs at the Arbor Day Foundation. Trees are assets to a community when properly planted and maintained. They help to 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.
La Grande’s Urban Forestry Division will be hosting several National Arbor Day and Oregon Arbor Month events in the coming weeks. “There’s a little something for everyone – classes, tree plantings, art in the library, and a Block Party on May 2nd at Greenwood Elementary. We hope residents will spend some time celebrating the beauty and benefits of trees with us this spring,” said Anna Lindquist, City of La Grande Urban Forester.
See following page for 2026 Arbor Day Events.
LA GRANDE ARBOR DAY EVENTS
La Grande City Council Meeting – April 1, 2026 – Mayor Rock will announce the 2026 Arbor Day Proclamation.
Arbor Day Poster Contest – See the Arbor Day posters from 4th Graders on display at Cook Memorial Library throughout the month of April. This year’s poster contest theme is Tree People (Tree-ple) Power! Recognizing the many people who work with and care for trees in various ways.
Branching Out Tree Class: What’s Wrong with My Tree? April 7th, 2026 – A practical class about tree problems. Learn how to identify insect damage, drought stress, and much more. 5:30 pm at the Anderson Perry Community Room. Registration is free at this link.
Community Tree Planting Day – Saturday April 25th, 2026 – Help us reach our goal of planting 100 trees each year along the streets of La Grande and in our parks and greenspaces. Volunteers meet at the Parks & Recreation Office (2402 Cedar St, by the basketball courts) at 9:00 am. For more information contact the Urban Forestry Division at 541-663-1952 or trees@cityoflagrande.org. Please register using the link.
Greenwood Arbor Day Block Party – May 2nd, 2026 – Join Urban Forestry staff and volunteers for a fun, family-friendly event at Greenwood Elementary. Includes field games and activities for kids, short tree classes for adults, and tree plantings around the school. Lunch provided with pre-registration. Visit www.cityoflagrande.org/urbanforestry for more information.
About the Arbor Day Foundation.
The Arbor Day Foundation is a global nonprofit with a mission to inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees. The Foundation’s Tree City USA program is now celebrating its 50th recognition season and is operated in partnership with the National Association of State Foresters and the USDA Forest Service. The anniversary underscores the program’s rich history of growing healthier, greener, and more resilient communities through urban forestry. To learn more about Tree City USA and other Arbor Day Foundation programs, visit arborday.org/programs.
