A Lexington County town continues to make the Arbor Foundation Tree City list.

Irmo has now earned the distinction for 12 consecutive years.

“We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Tree City,” Courtney Dennis, Irmo’s town administrator, said. “We spend countless hours taking care of the trees in the town including the yearly pruning and planting of new trees.“

Town Council Member Erik Sickinger told the Chronicle that a large reason as to why Irmo has held this title for 12 consecutive years is due to Whit Cline, the town's public works director, who is a certified arborist.

“He gets input on which trees should be allowed to be cut down, what types of trees should be planted, what types of vegetation should go in,” Sickinger said, “and has, as an arborist, has a real respect for for trees and natural growth”

Cities who wish to earn the title of Tree City must meet four requirements:

• Maintaining a tree board or department
• Having a community tree ordinance
• Spending at least $2 per capita on urban forestry
• Celebrating Arbor Day

Once a city is a part of this program the foundation provides the communities involved with a four-step framework to assist in growing and maintaining their tree cover.

Outside of meeting these regulations, the town must also plant trees to replace those torn down.

According to Sickinger, the town has building codes in place that do not allow residents to tear down trees without proper approval, adding that there is a requirement for replacing torn-down trees.

Dennis shared with the Chronicle that over the past 20 years, the town has planted more than 2,000 trees in public areas, town facilities and within the town’s parks.

“It really is a core piece of our identity, the natural beauty of old trees being a part of the town,” Sickinger said, mentioning that the amount of beautiful and old trees was a reason he moved here.

“It brought me a sense of peace and it really made me feel like I was at a place that I could call home.”

The town shared that trees provide multiple benefits to a community, stating that they help improve the visual appeal of a neighborhood, increase property values, reduce home cooling cost, remove air pollutants and provide wildlife habitat, among other benefits.

Other reasons that the foundation shared for a city to join the program include data that shows traffic sounds in urban areas can be absorbed up to 40% with proper tree coverage and the role green spaces play in improving mental and physical health, including absorbing carbon dioxide.

According to the Arbor Day Foundation's website, Tree City USA was founded in 1976 and is one of the foundation's oldest programs. 3,600 communities across all 50 states with the inclusion of Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico have earned the distinction, with Irmo claiming it is one of 41 cities in the state that currently hold the title.