Cabarrus Today

The City of Concord marked Arbor Day with a tree planting event at the new ClearWater Ceramics Center. Mayor Bill Dusch and City Manager Lloyd Payne participated in the ceremony, which included planting Black Gum and Zelkova trees, along with native plants to support local pollinators.

Concord, one of North Carolina's fastest-growing cities, emphasizes responsible urban development and maintaining a healthy tree canopy. The city's Buildings and Grounds Department follows a policy of planting two new trees for every one removed. Additional plantings are planned for city properties in the coming months to further this goal.

This year, Concord achieved its third consecutive Tree City USA designation by fulfilling the program's four core standards: having a tree conservation board or department, implementing a tree care ordinance, maintaining an annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita, and observing Arbor Day with an official proclamation.

Residents are encouraged to participate in the Memorial Tree Program by purchasing and donating trees in honor of loved ones or events. The city will begin planting these Memorial Trees from November through February, aligning with the optimal planting season for the Southeast United States.

In collaboration with All Saints Episcopal Church's Creation Care team and the Arbor Day Foundation, Concord recently distributed 200 free trees to homeowners through the Energy Saving Trees program. Recipients will collect their trees on October 29 at All Saints Episcopal Church. During pickup, master gardeners from the North Carolina Cooperative Extension will offer guidance on proper tree planting and care.

For more information on selecting suitable trees and their maintenance, residents can visit treesaregood.org/treeowner.