Wooster marks 50 years as Tree City USA

The Wayne County commissioners recently recognized Wooster’s 50th anniversary as a Tree City USA city during a special ceremony at the Shisler Conference Center on the Ohio State University Wooster campus. As one of only three original Tree Cities in Ohio, along with Springfield and Westerville, the city has remained steadfast in its commitment to urban forestry.

“The Wayne County Board of Commissioners congratulates the City of Wooster on its 2026 Tree City USA designation,” Commissioner Matt Martin said during the event. “With over 50 consecutive years of recognition, every year since the program began in 1976, Wooster stands among the longest participating communities in the nation. The commissioners commend the city’s enduring commitment to urban forestry and environmental stewardship.”

City officials report maintaining more than 4,300 shade trees along city streets, as well as thousands more in parks and other green spaces. This dedication is vital to the community’s health and well-being, offering both environmental and aesthetic benefits.

Additionally, the city has long prioritized tree education, with an annual Arbor Day program that has distributed more than 675 trees to schoolchildren each year since 1956, according to the City of Wooster’s Urban Forestry Division.

Wooster’s reputation as a tree-focused community is rooted in decades of local leadership, with officials often crediting Dr. Oliver D. Diller — who helped establish the city’s Shade Tree Commission in 1954 — for laying the groundwork for forestry efforts that today meet the standards of the Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree City USA program, which requires communities to maintain a tree board or department, adopt a tree care ordinance, invest in forestry programs and observe Arbor Day annually.

Dan Starcher is the communications coordinator for Wayne County.