Vance celebrates its 16th year as Tree City U.S.A. Published April 23, 2009 By 2nd Lt. Katherine Roling 71st Flying Training Wing Public Affairs VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Vance Air Force Base was presented with its 16th consecutive Tree City U.S.A. honors during a ceremony at the base driving range April 22. Forester Dan Stidham, from the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, presented the Tree City U.S.A. flag to Col. Richard Murphy, 71st Flying Training Wing vice commander. Colonel Murphy accepted the award on behalf of the base. "This will help ensure a better environmental future," he said. He also proclaimed April 22 Arbor Day for the base. The Tree City U.S.A. program is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation. There are 3,310 communities nation-wide that are currently Tree Cities. There are four criteria to qualify for Tree City U.S.A. First, a community must have a tree board or department. Then it must have a tree care ordinance and a community forestry program with an annual budget of at least $2 per capita. Lastly, it must have an Arbor Day observance and proclamation. According to Mark Buthman, environmental coordinator, the base has its own tree board which is part of the Environmental, Safety, and Occupational Health Committee. Mr. Buthman said the tree-care ordinance comes from the Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan, which discusses the quality and care of trees on base, as well as the approved tree list. The annual budget for the program was $39.96 per capita in 2008. First and second graders from Eisenhower Elementary School made an appearance at the tree dedication ceremony. They sang songs about the importance of trees and plants to our environment, and recited lines from a poem for the audience. After the poem, the celebration continued with the dedication of a new Lacebark Elm tree.