Urban & Community Forestry Awards Program
Overview
The North Carolina Forest Service is proud to announce the 2012 North Carolina Urban Forestry Awards program. The goal of this annual program is to award communities, organizations, and individuals for outstanding work in protecting and enhancing our community forests, and raising community awareness of the importance of these projects. Award recipients will be invited to, and recognized at, the NC Urban Forest Council's 2012 Annual Conference Awards Luncheon on August 8, 2012 at the Hickory Metro Convention Center in Hickory.
Eligibility
The awards are open to all individuals, organizations, corporations, and institutions whose work has set an example of excellence in urban and community forestry. The activities of the nominated individual or group must result in significant enhancement of the urban forest; represent a significant change for the betterment of the resource; have been done in the last three years.
Award Categories
Nominations will be accepted for the following award categories:
Outstanding Tree Board or Urban Forestry Committee - given to the local board or committee that has made outstanding accomplishments in completing urban forestry projects, provided exemplary leadership, and/or made significant progress in meeting the goals of their local urban forestry program.
Outstanding Project - recognizes an outstanding single project which has made a positive impact on the urban forest. Particular consideration will be given to projects that can be copied or adapted for use by other communities.
Outstanding Individual - recognizes an individual that has been instrumental in organizing or motivating urban forestry activities within a community. Nominees include community leaders, elected officials, exceptional volunteers, local nonprofit organizers, and concerned citizens.
Outstanding Professional - recognizes an individual who works for an organization whose business is related to urban forestry (arboriculture, horticulture, nursery, grounds manager, etc.). The award recognizes an individual who has made outstanding contributions to the urban forestry effort at the local, regional, or state level. Nominees include municipal foresters/arborists, private arborists, utility arborists, growers, and educators.
Tree City of the Year - is selected from all of the cities recognized as a Tree City USA in the state of North Carolina. A special committee from the NC Forest Service will select the recipient based on information submitted with the 2011 Tree City USA application, therefore nominations are not required. The Tree City of the Year will be selected from communities that exemplify through their reported activities improved care of their community forest, advancement in urban forestry practices and increased public awareness of the many benefits of a well managed urban forest.
The first 4 categories will be open to all communities, regardless of Tree City USA status.
Award winners will also be evaluated as to their eligibility for nomination to the National Arbor Day Awards program. Award winner(s) will be notified if the awards committee plans to nominate the winner(s) for a National Arbor Day Award.
Judging
A panel of judges comprised of NC Forest Service' Urban Forestry staff and selected North Carolina Urban Forest Council members will review and rank each entry. Entries will be judged for impact, quality, innovation and the degree to which the work serves as a worthy example for others to follow.
Application Timeline
Nominations will be accepted through June 29, 2012. All entrants will be notified of the judges' results in writing by July 31, 2012, before public announcement is made. Award recipients will be recognized at the NC Urban Forest Council's 2012 Annual Conference Awards Luncheon on August 8, 2012 at the Hickory Metro Convention Center. Award recipients will be presented with a plaque and a prewritten press release suitable for publishing in their local media.
Entry Procedure
Interested parties may request an application form by contacting Jennifer Rall at 919-857-4849 or they may download the application.