By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

The city of Hays recently celebrated its 36th consecutive year as a “Tree City USA.”

Northwest Kansas District Forester Brian Peterson presented the Tree City banner during the city’s Arbor Day celebration at the Hays Dog Park, 1376 Highway 183 Alternate.

The event also included recognition of the local Smokey Bear/Woodsy Owl poster contest winners.

Prairie Garden Club member Brenda Slaughter first thanked the Wilson School second grade teachers for their students’ participation.

“It’s a great pleasure every year to get all the posters and judge them”, she said.

“The poster contest is in its 71st year. It’s the longest-running service ad campaign in the nation and is sponsored by the National Garden Club and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service,” Slaughter noted.

Mackenzie Berry’s poster–“Only You Prevent Forest Fires”–earned her a blue ribbon. Mackenzie’s poster also was awarded first place in the state poster contest for which she was presented a Smokey the Bear stuffed animal by Peterson.

Second place went to Brett Dreher, “Only You Can Prevent Wildfires,” and Caleb King took third place with his poster of Woodsy Owl, “Lend a Hand.”

The Tree City USA program is a national program that provides the framework for community forestry management for cities and towns across America.

Communities achieve Tree City USA status by meeting the four core standards of: maintaining a tree board or department, having a community tree ordinance, spending at least $2 per capita on urban forestry and celebrating Arbor Day.