Cabarrus Today

The City of Concord marked Arbor Day by planting nine new trees at Fire Station 10. Mayor William C. "Bill" Dusch and City Manager Lloyd Payne led the event, joined by Concord Fire Chief Jake Williams, Deputy Chief Thomas Knox, firefighters from Station 10, City Arborist Bill Leake, and staff from the Buildings and Grounds Department.

"We’re a popular place to live, and as our city continues to grow, we are doing our part to improve and restore the tree canopy," stated Mayor Bill Dusch. "Our city Arborist, Bill Leake, does an outstanding job overseeing these efforts and ensuring we meet our commitment to a healthy urban forest."

Concord is one of the fastest-growing cities in the state and ranks as its tenth largest. The city maintains a policy of planting two new trees for every tree removed to support responsible growth and urban development.

Earlier this year, Concord earned its second Tree City USA designation by meeting four core standards: having a tree conservation board or department; a tree care ordinance; an annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita; and observing Arbor Day with a proclamation.

Residents are encouraged to participate in the Memorial Tree Program, which allows them to purchase and donate trees in honor of loved ones or events. The city will plant these Memorial Trees starting in November through February.

In addition to these efforts, Concord partnered with All Saints Episcopal Church's Creation Care team and the Arbor Day Foundation to distribute 222 free trees through the Energy Saving Trees program. The expected benefits over 20 years include saving 430,000 kWh of energy, sequestering 710,000 lbs. of carbon, and filtering over 3 million gallons of stormwater runoff. This marks the third year Concord has participated in this program, distributing a total of 783 free trees to residents.