City of Hamilton, Ohio

The City of Hamilton, a Tree City USA award recipient since 2004!

In the City of Hamilton, efforts to improve tree care have been going on for a number of years, but the impetus for the present effort began in 1999 when the goal of becoming a Tree City USA was included in the community’s Vision 2020 planning document. At that time a group was formed to design a plan to meet the four requirements for the designation as established by the National Arbor Day Foundation.

An ad hoc group of citizens worked with City staff to create an ordinance that established the Hamilton Tree Advisory Board in January 2000. With the selection of Board members, their first meeting was held in September 2000. The first goal for Tree City USA had now been met.

The first major task of the board was to draft an ordinance that specified the proper care and management of trees in the public way and this was approved by City Council in September 2001. Now, with two of the four requirements for Tree City USA, a third was met with Board’s first official celebration of Arbor Day in 2001; it is now an annual event.

The fourth and final goal was realized in 2004 when tree expenditures were pulled together across several City departments and the total fulfilled the per capita requirements for the Tree City USA designation. The National Arbor Day Foundation issued a press release in February 2005 noting the achievement and Tree Advisory Board members, along with representatives from City Council and City Staff, received Hamilton’s first Tree City USA award at a ceremony hosted by the City of Fairfield on April 22, 2005.

Management Plan
The Tree Advisory Board is responsible for developing, implementing, and administering a Tree Resource Management Plan. The plan defines the scope for the care, maintenance, improvement, expansion of, and public education about, trees within the City of Hamilton. The Management Plan was approved by City Council in 2005. The Board reviews it annually and submits a report to Council on ways to improve upon the plan.

Monthly Meetings
The Board currently administers regular and special meetings at which the citizens of the City may discuss the subject of the City's trees. The Tree Advisory Board meets the second Thursday of every month at 7:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers on the First Floor of the One Renaissance Center.