Bloomington Tree Commission Receives Outstanding Tree Board Award

[IUFC President Lindsey Purcell (L) presents the Outstanding Tree Board Award to members of the Bloomington Tree Commission (L-R) Deb Beck, Laurel Cornell, Lee Huss, Burney Fischer and Tom Coleman.|image:7850,right]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 4, 2010

For more information contact
Lee Huss, Urban Forester, City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department, (812) 349-3716 or [hussl@bloomington.in.gov|mailto:hussl@bloomington.in.gov]

Bloomington, IN - The seven-member [Bloomington Tree Commission|639] was presented with the Outstanding Tree Board Award at the Indiana Urban Forest Council annual conference in Indianapolis October 21.

According to Lee Huss, urban forester for the City of Bloomington, the Bloomington Tree Commission's outstanding work over the past three years made them especially deserving of recognition.

"The Bloomington Tree Commission has updated the City's Tree Ordinance, created the Bloomington Tree Care Manual, and developed the Bloomington Street Tree Plan," Huss said. "These three significant projects, and the considerable amount of time and energy involved in completing them, demonstrate our Tree Commission's level of knowledge about, and commitment to, Bloomington's urban forest."

The honor comes on the heels of Bloomington's recent success in being named an America in Bloom community and receiving a Criteria Award for the urban forestry component of the judging. America in Bloom judge Bill Hahn said, "When it comes to urban forestry, Bloomington gets it! Few cities have plumbed the depth of the iimportance of trees. While its one thing to know theory, it is quite another to actualize it with comprehensive goals, objectives and actions. Bloomington is doing just that, and we salute you!"

Members of the Bloomington Tree Commission are: Laurel Cornell, President; Tom Coleman, Burney Fischer, Mia Williams, Debra Beck, George Hegeman and Michael Tosick.

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