Newberry High students urge City Commission to help Newberry become a Tree City
By Rachael Anne Ryals
Herald Staff Writer

NEWBERRY – Seven Newberry High School students went before the Newberry City Commission to ask the commissioners to show their support for the city becoming a Tree City.

“It lets people know we care about our environment,” said Newberry High school student Cody Thomas.

Thomas and six other members of the Lexus P.A.N.T.H.E.R club have worked for a month to gather more than 500 signatures in support of Newberry becoming a Tree City.

The Commission agreed to sign the petition.

The Tree City Program was started by the Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the USDA Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters. The program provides direction, technical assistance, public attention and national recognition for communities that become a tree city.

The students presented research to the Commission showing that Newberry could easily become a Tree City because the city already spends at least $2 per capita (about $10,000) on tree related expenses – a main component of becoming a Tree City.

Other components include establishing a Tree Board department and passing a tree ordinance.

The students provided samples of the city of Alachua’s Tree City program for comparison. High Springs is also a Tree City.

The final requirement is “the least challenging and most enjoyable” Thomas said, and that is setting up a festival or tree week to celebrate trees in the city of Newberry.

Thomas said trees are an important investment. He said one strategically planted tree can reduce a home’s air conditioning bills by 30 percent. One tree also produces a cooling effect of 10 room-sized air conditioners due to the tree's evaporation.

Commissioner Joe Hoffman commended the students for their work.

“I really appreciate that young people in our area are starting to get involved in this type of thing,” he said.