Saugus gets Tree City USA award for 2011

SAUGUS – The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation presented Saugus with the 2011 Tree City USA Award recently at the Ocean Explorium in New Bedford, according to a press release from the DCR.Saugus was among 84 other towns honored and Tree Committee chairman Nancy Prag said the award has become a tradition after the town netted its 13th award in a row.The Tree Committee was started 13 years ago by Town Meeting members Tim Hawkes and Ann Devlin, according to current chairman Nancy Prag.?They worked to get the Tree City status and that?s how it began,” said Prag. “You have to do things in the community like tree-plantings, create awareness around town. We do things like a poster contest for fifth-graders at our elementary schools.”Prag said the contest is held every year for Arbor Day and the winner gets a tree planted in his or her name.To receive designation as an official Tree City, cities and towns must meet four criteria: they must establish a department devoted to tree care, spend at least $2 per capita per year on urban forestry, enforce laws protecting public trees and host an Arbor Day celebration, according to the release.Other communities that received a Tree City USA Awards include Lynn, Lynnfield, Marblehead, Peabody and Swampscott.?DCR is proud of the cities and towns across the commonwealth that have devoted so many resources to planting and caring for their trees,” said DCR Commissioner Edward M. Lambert in the release. “It is a special year to honor arborists statewide following the damage done to trees during the unusual weather events in 2011.”Selectman Stephen Horlick said he always tries to attend Tree Committee meetings and noted it?s a lot of hard work from many different groups in town that have earned Saugus its 13th award.Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].