SILVERHILL, Alabama -- The Town of Silverhill celebrated its 23rd Tree City USA designation from the Arbor Day Foundation, planting a tree and giving away 500 trees Thursday and Friday, Feb. 21-22 in celebration of Arbor Day.

The annual Arbor Day celebration is part of Silverhill's qualification as a Tree City USA community.

In order to qualify as a Tree City, municipalities must meet four standards established by The Arbor Day Foundation and the National Association of State Foresters.

According to the Arbor Day Foundation website, www.arborday.org, the standards were established to ensure that every qualifying community would have a viable tree management plan and program and were designed so that no community would be excluded because of size.

In order to qualify for Tree City USA status, municipalities must:

• Have a tree board or department.
• Adopt a tree care ordinance.
• Maintain a community forestry program with an annual budget of at least $2 per capita.
• Hold an Arbor Day observance and proclamation.

Arbor Day was originated in Nebraska City, Neb., by J. Sterling Morton. The first Arbor Day was held April 10, 1872 and an estimated 1 million trees were planted that day.

Many countries now observe a similar holiday. Though usually observed in the spring, the date varies, depending on climate and suitable planting season.

This is the 23rd year Silverhill has qualified as a Tree City.