This year, Novi will celebrate three decades of Tree City USA status, as it’s now been recognized for the award from the Arbor Day Foundation for the 30th year.

To help put that number of years in perspective, here are some notable happenings from 30 years ago in 1992:

• Novi had a population of approximately 33,000 citizens and was under the leadership of Mayor Matthew C. Quinn.
• Nirvana’s album “Nevermind,” released in late 1991, hit No. 1 in the US Billboard 200 chart.
• The movie The Silence of the Lambs won the Oscar for Best Picture.
• George H.W. Bush was serving the final year of his presidency.
• Barry Sanders racked up 1,577 all-purpose yards and 10 touchdowns for the Detroit Lions in his fourth year in the NFL. The Lions missed the playoffs, however, and finished with a 5-11 regular season record.

To earn a Tree City USA accreditation, a City must meet the following standards each year:

1. A Tree Board or Department that’s legally responsible for the care of all trees on public property must be in place.
2. A basic tree care ordinance must be in place.
3. The community’s forestry program must have an annual budget of at least $2 per capita.
4. Communities must host an annual Arbor Day observance event and an official Arbor Day proclamation must be passed by public officials* *The requirement for an in-person event was waived in 2021 due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

Novi also earned its 12th consecutive Growth Award from the ADF for going above and beyond the four Tree City USA standards. The following activities contributed to Novi’s Growth Award:

• The City planted 721 trees and 583 shrubs in 2021.
  • 314 trees planted along streets
  • 407 trees planted in City parks
  • 583 shrubs planted in City parks
• The City’s contractors pruned 2,547 street trees in 2021 to improve growth form, remove deadwood, and reduce safety hazards.
• Novi carried out invasive species removal projects to address invasive buckthorn in Rotary Park and removed invasive phragmites from parks and public Rights-of-Way throughout the city.
• Regular articles focused on environmental topics were posted to the City’s Novi.org website.
• City staff took part in several continued education opportunities to advance their knowledge in urban forestry topics.