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About Largo

Largo is the only “Sterling Tree City” in Tampa Bay; this is a very prestigious award as it shows a great amount of dedication by the community to the preservation of urban forestry.

The “Arbor Day Foundation” is behind the urban forestry program called “Tree City USA.” The program commenced in the United States in the mid seventies when development and growth of cities was rampant and many green belts were being destroyed to make way for new residential estates to house the workers from the growing Central Business Districts (CBD.) The idea was simple; to build a framework of ways cities and towns could be environmentally savvy during this time of urban sprawl. It was and is important to protect the old established growing trees and vegetation where possible and to plant as many new trees and shrubs wherever design allows. The planting of trees and preservation of trees has many positive benefits to a community including helping to reduce energy costs. According to Largo tutors each tree planted around a building helps to cut energy consumption. It is also proven that areas which have more vegetation and trees are visually and aesthetically more desirable to potential buyers, who will pay a higher premium to live in a leafy green space. In areas that are wooded tenants stay for longer and there is higher demand by buyers. Other advantages include creating recreational areas that bring the community together and encourage positive interaction, storm water management and erosion control, and education for conservation.

Since 1976 nearly three and a half thousand communities have made the commitment to be a “Tree City.” The program itself has been a huge success and many towns and cities once entering the program have gone on to maintain their “Tree City USA” status for many years. Any participating “Tree City USA” community can become eligible for a “Growth Award”. A “Growth Award” can be earned by completing a series of activities from four eligible categories. Each activity gains the community a certain amount of points, dependent on the level of difficulty in achieving the goal. A “Growth award” is awarded if the community gets ten or more points for two or more consecutive years. In order to achieve “Sterling Tree City” status a community must earn multiple “Growth awards.” It would mean completing the eligibility terms for more than ten years in a row. According to Largo tutors, Largo first obtained “Sterling Tree City” status in 2009.