Sandy Springs Earns “Tree Cities of the World” Recognition

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. (April 21, 2022)—The City of Sandy Springs was recognized as a 2021 “Tree City of the World” by the Arbor Day Foundation and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Sandy Springs earned recognition as a Tree City for the third consecutive year. To earn “Tree Cities of the World” designation, the City demonstrated its commitment by meeting five program standards: establish responsibility for the care of trees, set rules to govern the management of forests and trees, maintain an updated inventory or assessment of local tree resources, allocate resources for a tree management plan, and hold an annual celebration of trees to educate residents.

“This is a tremendous honor for the City of Sandy Springs,” Mayor Rusty Paul said. “Once again, this recognition is a testament to the City’s legendary tree canopy, and people often describe Sandy Springs as the city where skyscrapers rise from a forest of serene scenic beauty.”

According to a tree canopy assessment performed using imagery from the 2019 U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agriculture Imagery Program, Sandy Springs is 57% to 60% tree covered.

The Arbor Day Foundation is the world's largest nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees. The Food and Agriculture Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Both organizations came together in 2019 to found Tree Cities of the World. The program is a global effort to recognize cities and towns committed to ensuring that their urban forests and trees are properly maintained, sustainably managed, and duly celebrated.

For information about the City of Sandy Springs, please visit www.sandyspringsga.gov, or call the Citizen Response Center at 770-730-5600. Follow breaking news and traffic alerts on Twitter and community news on Facebook.

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Media Contact:
Jason Fornicola, Communications Director
jfornicola@sandyspringsga.gov
770.206.1473