PSL again earns Tree City recognition nationally, internationally

Published on April 20, 2026

Photo shows a row of newly planted trees. A water truck is in the far distance and a worker watering one of the new trees.

The City of Port St. Lucie again has received national and international recognition for its commitment to environmental stewardship and development of its urban forest landscape.

For 21 consecutive years, Port St. Lucie has earned the Tree City USA Award. It also received the Tree City USA Growth Award for the 20^th straight year, which recognizes cities nationwide for effective urban forest management that enhances the livability and sustainability of their local area.

Tree City USA is a partnership between the Arbor Day Foundation, the U.S. Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters. It recognizes cities committed to ensuring that urban forests and trees are properly maintained, sustainably managed and celebrated.

To earn Tree City USA recognition, a city must uphold four core standards, including maintaining a tree board or department, having a community tree ordinance, spending at least $2 per capita on urban forestry and participating in an Arbor Day celebration.

For the fourth consecutive year, Port St. Lucie earned international designation as one of only 210 Tree Cities of the World. Only eight cities in Florida received international designation, which includes cities from 24 countries across six continents.

Tree Cities of the World is a collaboration between the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the Arbor Day Foundation.

To receive the international Tree Cities of the World designation, the City met five core standards including:

Establishing responsibility for the care of trees
Setting rules for managing trees
Having an updated inventory of local trees resources
Allocating resources for tree management
Holding an annual celebration about trees to educate local residents

An official Arbor Day proclamation will be presented during an upcoming City Council meeting. The Public Works Department’s Urban Beautification team, which has been instrumental in the City’s national and international Tree City recognitions, also will host an Arbor Day celebration April 24 at 2 p.m. with a tree planting at the intersection of SE Green River Parkway and SE Berkshire Boulevard.

The City has long recognized the value trees bring. It has planted more than 75,000 trees as part of the Port St. Lucie Tree Challenge and approximately 15,400 trees have been distributed since 2004 through the Keep Port St. Lucie Beautiful Tree Giveaway program.