FARMINGTON — The Arbor Day Foundation has announced that Farmington has been recognized as a 2018 Tree City USA town.

Farmington achieved Tree City USA recognition by meeting the program’s four requirements: a tree board or conservation commission, a tree care ordinance, an annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation.

Bill Haslam, chairman of Farmington’s Conservation Commission, said the commission held a series of informational meetings last year on the Walton’s Mill Dam project. It also replanted dead and dying lilacs around the downtown.

“That’s been an ongoing project for the last ten years,” he said.

“Tree City USA communities see the impact an urban forest has in a community first hand,” Dan Lambe, president of the Arbor Day Foundation, said in the announcement. “Additionally, recognition brings residents together and creates a sense of community pride, whether it’s through volunteer engagement or public education.”

When properly maintained, trees provide a number of benefits. Benefits include adding to the visual appeal of a neighborhood, removing air pollutants, providing wildlife habitat, reducing home cooling costs and increasing property values.

This is the 42nd consecutive year Farmington has been recognized as a Tree City USA community. It is one of three Maine towns/cities that have had the certification for that length of time.