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Community Effort AwardsPopulation Greater than 75,000GREATER OKC TREE BANK
The tornado that cut a mile-wide swath of devastation through central Oklahoma on May 3, 1999, did more than destroy lives, homes and businesses. It also had a $10 million long-term economic impact from the trees lost.
The Greater Oklahoma City Tree Bank immediately launched Tornado Re-leaf, a replanting program for the Oklahoma City and three other communities in the metro area. The financial assistance offered to each community from the U.S. Forest Service was pooled and a firm was hired to develop detailed information on the tree canopy loss. 
As a result of what our judges called brilliant planning and cooperation, groundbreaking technology has been developed to assess damage. Massive plantings already have taken place, Oklahoma City has achieved Tree City USA status and other affected communities have taken permanent steps for the first time to nurture their urban forests.
For its rapid coalition-building, multi-phased response to an environmental disaster, THE GREATER OKLAHOMA CITY TREE BANK IS NOT ONLY GOOD NEWS FOR THE REFORESTING OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA, IT ALSO IS A MODEL TO EMULATE FOR DISASTER RESPONSE TEAMS ACROSS THE NATION! Population 10,000-15,000CITY OF SHAWNEE
A person would be hard-pressed to find another city in America that has woven so many cooperative beautification efforts in recent years as successfully as Shawnee. The work of government agencies, civic groups, the business community, school children and individual volunteers have enhanced a wide array of projects pleasing to both residents and those just passing by.
New tree planting sites dot the Shawnee area, adding hundreds of trees to parks, boulevards and highways. Its “Adopt a Plot” program already has greatly brightened the appearance of the downtown sector in just the first of its three planned phases. Statues have been added to parks; arterial streets are increasingly litter free; and even poorly maintained business signage has come under scrutiny. 
This level of community activism for a wide variety of beautification projects is rarely seen in a city this size, but it’s certainly deserving of recognition because THE CITY OF SHAWNEE IS GOOD NEWS FOR BROAD-BASED URBAN BEAUTIFICATION RESULTS IN OKLAHOMA! Population 2,000-10,000TOWN OF HOBART
Built entirely with private funds from local businesses and citizens, the Hovaka Centennial Park in Hobart is a dramatically effective example of how a vacant lot can be turned into a proud jewel of the community. Hobart’s 100th birthday present to itself cost only $7,000, but will pay welcomed dividends for generations to come.
The Hobart Beautification Commission led the design and development efforts for this prime property across the street from Court House Square. The formerly empty lot now is populated with a dozen trees, a half-dozen handsome benches, shrubs, a manicured lawn of Bermuda grass, and many happy visitors.
For their vision, their donations of labor and money, and their skills as park creators, THE PEOPLE OF HOBART ARE GOOD NEWS - AND HAVE SET A GREAT EXAMPLE – FOR OKLAHOMA’S DOWNTOWN ENVIRONMENTS! Population up to 2,000TOWN OF MEEKER
What the town of Meeker may lack in population, it sure makes up for in vision and spirited support. The people of Meeker, under the leadership of Mayor Jim Wise, have taken the donation of the Meeker family’s original homestead site and have turned it into a beautifully landscaped park with a veteran’s memorial and colorful playground equipment.
 Appropriately called the Meeker Homestead Park, it also features a bandstand, a monument, benches, a flagpole and a sidewalk paved with 645 engraved bricks honoring the many donors to the project. Meeker community volunteers provided much of the labor in an example our judges praised as “outstanding cooperation.” For the use of beauty to honor former heroes and preserve community history, the MEEKER HOMESTEAD PARK IS GOOD NEWS FOR OKLAHOMA’S PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE! 
 
 
 
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