Fort McCoy earns 35th Tree City USA designation

During the 2024 Arbor Day celebration May 1 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 2024 Arbor Day observance, in signing the Arbor Day proclamation, Fort McCoy Garrison Commander Col. Stephen Messenger 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,” Messenger states in the written 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,” Messenger’s Arbor Day proclamation states. “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 2024, Fort McCoy planted thousands of new trees at several areas around post. This included more than 600 trees during the Arbor Day event, and thousands more during another tree-planting event on South Post with the Wisconsin Challenge Academy.

At the Arbor Day ceremony, Messenger got the group of children from the Fort McCoy Child Development Center to enjoy the event honoring the importance of trees and their impact to the environment. He told them, “The trees you are going to plant today are going to grow big and strong. … You are going to make a difference for Fort McCoy.”

And shortly thereafter, they exclaimed, “Happy Arbor Day!”

Mentzel said the Fort McCoy Arbor Day event is always coordinated by the installation Forestry program. In addition to the hundreds of trees planned for planting during the observance, thousands more were planted on post.

“Planting thousands of new trees is an effort that is repeated every year on post,” Mentzel said. “Fort McCoy has more than 46,000 acres of forested land managed by the Forestry Office, and it’s important to maintain those forested areas.”

Mentzel added that the 2024 Arbor Day event went very well, even though it was rescheduled due to weather from April 26. “Was great to see everyone participate and see us receive our 35th Tree City USA award,” he said.

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 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. Fort McCoy is also part of Army’s Installation Management Command where “We Are The Army’s Home.”