Tree City!
May 07, 2025 12:21PM ● By Shalynn Hennefer, City of Soda Springs
Only you can prevent yourself from smiling when you see Smokey. You can try, anyway.
Every year the City of Soda Springs partners with our 4th grade teachers, the Local US Forest Service, and Smokey the Bear to put on a program for the 4th graders at Thirkell Elementary. Smokey the bear and the Forest Service talk to the kids about the importance of trees, the forests, keeping things clean, fire safety, and how Arbor Day is a good time to bring that to light.
The City of Soda Springs has a poster contest with the 4th grade classes. We pick two from each class as the winners. Each winner is presented with a gift certificate from a Local business. Each poster is unique and has a special and wonderful message about what kids think about trees and their importance to our community and our world. Some posters have some pretty cute and funny sayings. We at City Hall always look forward to this program to see what the bright minds of our 4th Graders come up with.
The City of Soda Springs has been a Tree City for the last 24 yrs. What is a Tree City? you may ask. A Tree City USA is a community that actively manages and expands its urban tree canopy, receiving national recognition for its commitment to tree care. It's a program led by the Arbor Day Foundation that encourages communities to prioritize the planting, care, and maintenance of trees within their urban areas, and have a commitment to tree care.
To qualify, communities must meet four core standards established by the Arbor Day Foundation. Which are, tree board or department, tree care ordinance, community forestry program and arbor day observance. These standards ensure a viable tree management program and are not limited to communities of a specific size. The benefits of Designation: Becoming a Tree City USA offers communities the opportunity to showcase their commitment to tree care, increase public awareness about the importance of trees, and access resources and support for urban forestry programs.
This is an ongoing process: The City must annually re-qualify to maintain their Tree City USA status, demonstrating a continuous commitment to tree care and urban forestry. Although the City doesn’t observe Arbor Day on the actual day every year, due to the lovely Idaho weather, we strive to have one day set aside when weather is warmer, where we come together to plant our new trees where they will be most beneficial.
This year the City of Soda Springs was awarded a Grant from the Arbor Day Foundation. This small but meaningful grant that will allow the city to buy more trees for our parks to make them more enjoyable for everyone.
