By Tom McClimon
June 19, 2006

Under the chairmanship of Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann, a new task force on Community Trees held their first meeting during the 74th Annual Meeting. The Community Trees Task Force was established by Conference President Long Beach Mayor Beverly O’Neill to focus attention on what cities can do to promote community trees programs.

Mayors shared at the meeting some of their “best practices” relating to local community trees programs. Hannemann talked about his efforts with his local non-profit organizations, Outer Circle, to improve the maintenance of neighborhood trees. Dan Lambe, Vice President for Programs of the National Arbor Day Foundation shared with the mayors the different types of programs offered by his organization to assist cities. Kelly Caffarelli, Executive Director of the Home Depot Foundation discussed their new partnership with the Conference of Mayors and the Awards for Excellence in Community Trees.

The mayors decided that the agenda for the task force should be the development of “best practices” of local trees programs and ordinances, a compilation of resources of national community trees assistance programs, and the development of programs to further recognize city programs to promote trees.