By Tom McClimon
June 19, 2006

Miami Mayor Manuel Diaz, Chair of the Tourism, Arts, Parks, Entertainment and Sports Committee, led his fellow Committee members through a discussion of community trees and local parks programs at their Committee meeting.

Following a vote on the resolutions, Diaz joined with Dan Lambe, Vice President for Public Programs at the National Arbor Day Foundation in presenting a special award to Grand Forks Mayor Michael Brown in recognition of his city being one of only 30 cities nationwide to be designated a “Tree City USA” for all 30 years of the program’s existence.

Kelly Cafferelli, Executive Director of the Home Depot Foundation, shared with the mayors the economic benefits trees have to cities. She distributed a new brochure, which explains how for every $1 a city invests in trees, it receives benefits of up to $3.74 in benefits in such areas as economic development, public safety and education. She also shared with the group that Home Depot is exploring ways to work with cities in purchasing trees.

Rich Dolesh, Director of Public Policy for the National Recreation and Parks Association, talked about a new national agenda for urban parks. This new national agenda is based upon the following principles: health and wellness, economic development, protecting the environment, and enriching the lives of young people. He commended the mayors for their efforts in supporting this new agenda.

The resolutions passed by the TAPES Committee were:

Resolution 1: Urban and Community Forestry Program

Resolution 2: Community Trees

Resolution 3: A New National Agenda for Urban Parks and Recreation

Resolution 4: National Arts and Humanities Month

Resolution 5: Federal Funding for the Arts, Humanities and Museums

Resolution 6: Encouraging Reading by City Residents

Resolution 7: Public Awareness Campaign for Arts Education

Resolution 8: Facilitating and Promoting International Travel to the United States

Resolution 9: Facilitating Cross-Border Travel Within the Western Hemisphere

Resolution 10: Presidential Advisory Council on Travel and Tourism

Resolution 11: Bringing the Arts Back to New Orleans