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Council recognizes Arbor Day with proclamation

30th annual tree giveaway celebration set for April 23

The Sidney City Council had a proclamation read recognizing Arbor Day during Tuesday evening's regular meeting in preparation for its upcoming 30th annual tree giveaway celebration later this month.

According to the proclamation, Arbor Day began in 1872 when J. Sterling Morton proposed to the Nebraska Board of Agriculture "that a special day be set aside for the planting of trees," and was first observed with the planting of "more than a million trees" across the state.

In Nebraska, Arbor Day is generally observed on the last Friday of April, which this year is April 29.

Tree Board Chairman Tom Von Seggern read the proclamation to the council, as well as went over the criteria for a city to be recognized as a Tree City USA community by the National Arbor Day Foundation.

Von Seggern said for the designation, a city needs to establish a tree board, have ordinances for tree care and safety, spend a budget of $2 per capita for tree planting and care and offer a proclamation endorsed by the council recognizing Arbor Day.

This year's Arbor Day celebration will be held Saturday, April 23, at the Lodgepole Valley Youth Camp near Legion Park along Hwy. 19 and Toledo St. Registration will be for one hour beginning at 7 a.m., and the program will start at 8 a.m.

The guest speaker for the celebration will be Amy Seiler with the Nebraska Forest Service.

Von Seggern said as with years past, between 80 and 90 trees will be given away during the celebration, including bur oak, Canada red select cherry, Kentucky coffee tree, May Day tree, Newport plum, profusion crabapple, prarie expedition and American Elm.

Special to the 30th anniversary, Von Seggern said pine trees will also be given away during the event to mark the occassion and help diversify the canopy within the city.

"We're changing things up a little bit," he said.

The types of pine to be given away include Bosnian, Swiss Stone and Austrian varieties.

Following the reading of the proclamation, Council member Wendall Gaston praised the tree board for its work.

"I think they do an awesome job," Gaston said.

Another agenda item concerned term expiration for Von Seggern and tree board member Kent Talich. Both terms were set to expire on April 24.

Von Seggern, who has served as board chairman since 1999, was reappointed to the board, but Talich, a member since 2010, decided not to accept another term.

"He wants to help through the tree guild, so we're going to come forward with a name at the next council meeting," Von Seggern said.

 

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