In 2023, Paducah launched an informational and awareness campaign called Considerate & Kind Paducah. This campaign includes social media posts and informational news releases to bring awareness to various city ordinances and to encourage ways to build a community that is considerate of each other and the local environment.
For March, the campaign is focusing on the benefits of trees, their maintenance, and the planting of desirable tree species.
In 2023, the Arbor Day Foundation in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters named Paducah a Tree City USA for the 31st consecutive year.
Mayor George Bray said, “Paducah’s designation as Tree City USA honors our commitment to urban forest management. In the City Commission’s most recent strategic planning session, we prioritized community beautification, and of course, a healthy tree canopy is one key to Paducah’s aesthetic appeal. We work constantly on new housing and development, but at the same time, we must preserve our tree canopy and all the aesthetic beauty and quality of life benefits healthy trees provide. It is always a balance, but we are committed to preserving our tree canopy.”
Tree Advisory Board Chairman, Jonathan E. Perkins, who also is an ISA Certified Arborist, said, “As a Tree City USA, our citizen-led Tree Advisory Board is always seeking new ways to improve our beautiful city through maintenance and preservation of Paducah’s invaluable urban forest. Trees are important to people and communities, and we strive to help advance that idea through our role as advisors not only to our community leaders but also to the public at-large.”
High-quality trees of desirable species provide multiple benefits to a community when properly planted and maintained. Some of the benefits include improving the visual appeal of a neighborhood, increasing property values, reducing home cooling costs, removing air pollutants, and providing wildlife habitat.
Perkins added, “Some of the benefits provided by trees and a healthy urban forest are obvious and appreciated but others are not as well-known. Research finds that in addition to their ability to provide physical benefits like reducing the amount of rainwater entering our often-over-taxed sewer systems, trees provide mental health benefits. The Harvard School of Public Health noted, A growing body of research shows that regularly spending time around trees provides a wide range of human health benefits, from lowering stress to improving cognition to boosting longevity, according to experts.”
City of Paducah Codes - Paducah Code of Ordinances Chapter 118 regulates and controls planting of trees and shrubbery, encourages the protection of existing trees in the streets and public grounds within the City, and establishes procedures and practices for fulfilling these purposes.
Learn more about the Considerate & Kind Paducah campaign.
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