Fort McCoy earns 33rd Tree City USA designation

During the 2022 Arbor Day celebration April 29 at Fort McCoy, Forester Charles Mentzel with the Forestry Office of the Directorate of Public Works (DPW) Environmental Division Natural Resources Branch unveiled the installation’s newest Tree City USA designation flag.

And during that Arbor Day observance, just like so many before, Fort McCoy’s participants in the ceremony had a group photo with the flag, which LATER found its home on a flagpole right next to Fort McCoy’s old Main Gate on the cantonment area.

To qualify for a Tree City USA designation, a town or city must meet four standards established by the National Arbor Day Foundation (NADF) and the National Association of State Foresters to ensure that every qualifying community would have a viable tree-management plan and program, according to the NADF. The four requirements are maintaining a tree board or department, having a community tree ordinance, spending at least $2 per capita on urban forestry, and celebrating Arbor Day.

Mentzel said the installation meets all four requirements with an urban forestry program that completes tree care through a DPW contractor, establishment of Fort McCoy Regulation 420-34 — “Urban Tree Management,” per capita findings from installation economic impact data, and the annual Arbor Day observance.

During the 2022 Arbor Day observance, in reading the Arbor Day proclamation, Fort McCoy Garrison Commander Col. Michael Poss described the importance of trees on post.

“The Department of the Army is the steward of the land and the natural resources at Fort McCoy, which are being held in trust for the American people,” Poss said in the proclamation. “Trees are one of the most important natural resources contained on Fort McCoy, either singularly, in groups, or forests.

“These trees benefit Fort McCoy by providing quality training, watershed protection, wood products, food and shelter for wildlife, outdoor recreation opportunities, clean air, noise buffers, and beautification,” Poss said. “Fort McCoy has been designated as a Tree City USA, and Arbor Day is a time of national observance for the recognition of the importance of trees to all locations.”

Overall in 2022, Fort McCoy planted 12,000-plus new trees at several areas around post.

Fort McCoy’s motto is to be the “Total Force Training Center.” Located in the heart of the upper Midwest, Fort McCoy is the only U.S. Army installation in Wisconsin.

The installation has provided support and facilities for the field and classroom training of more than 100,000 military personnel from all services nearly every year since 1984.

Learn more about Fort McCoy online at https://home.army.mil/mccoy, on the Defense Visual Information Distribution System at https://www.dvidshub.net/fmpao, on Facebook by searching “ftmccoy,” and on Twitter by searching “usagmccoy.” Also try downloading the Digital Garrison app to your smartphone and set “Fort McCoy” or another installation as your preferred base.