Community members, service members, and families gathered April 24, 2026, at Fort McCoy to celebrate Arbor Day and the installation’s continued commitment to environmental stewardship during its annual Tree City USA recognition ceremony.
The event marked the installation’s 37th consecutive year earning the Tree City USA designation, a distinction awarded by the Arbor Day Foundation to communities that demonstrate sustained commitment to urban forestry management and investment in tree care.
The ceremony highlighted Fort McCoy’s ongoing tree replenishment program, a long-standing effort led by the Directorate of Public Works Environmental Division’s Natural Resources Branch. The program ensures that forested areas across the installation remain healthy, sustainable, and capable of supporting both military training and environmental conservation goals.
Forestry Technician Tim Parry, who helps coordinate the program, addressed attendees during the ceremony, emphasizing the importance of trees and the legacy of Arbor Day.
“Arbor Day was started back in 1872 … and on that very first Arbor Day, nearly a million trees were planted,” Parry said. “Today, we’re continuing that tradition by planting about 500 trees here at Fort McCoy.”
Parry also noted that the Tree City USA program recognizes communities that dedicate resources to maintaining and expanding their tree populations. Fort McCoy’s 37-year streak reflects decades of sustained effort in forestry planning, replanting initiatives, and responsible land management.
The installation’s tree replenishment efforts play a critical role in balancing mission readiness with environmental stewardship. Trees across Fort McCoy contribute to erosion control, watershed protection, wildlife habitat, and noise reduction, while also enhancing training environments for troops.
During the ceremony, Col. Sheyla Baez Ramirez, garrison commander, accepted the Tree City USA award flag and delivered a proclamation recognizing Arbor Day on the installation.
“The Department of the Army is the steward of the land and natural resources at Fort McCoy, held in trust for the American people,” Baez Ramirez said. “Trees are among the most important natural resources we have, providing clean air, recreation, and critical support to our training mission.”
She encouraged community participation in tree planting efforts and highlighted the importance of continued environmental responsibility.
Following the proclamation, participants — including children from the local community—joined volunteers and staff in planting hundreds of trees across designated areas of the installation.
The annual recognition underscores Fort McCoy’s role not only as a premier military training center, but also as a model for long-term natural resource management, where forestry initiatives help sustain both the environment and the Army mission for future generations.
Fort McCoy’s motto beginning in 2026 is “Training the Total Force and Shaping the Future since 1909.”
The installation’s mission: “Fort McCoy strengthens Total Force Readiness by serving as a training center, Mobilization Force Generation Installation, and Strategic Support Area enabling warfighter lethality to deploy, fight, and win our nation’s wars.”
And Fort McCoy’s vision is, “To be the premier training center supporting the most capable, combat-ready, and lethal armed forces.”
Located in the heart of the upper Midwest, Fort McCoy is the only U.S. Army installation in Wisconsin. The installation has provided support and facilities for the field and classroom training of more than 100,000 military personnel from all services nearly every year since 1984.
Learn more about Fort McCoy online at https://home.army.mil/mccoy, on Facebook by searching “ftmccoy,” on Flickr at https://www.flickr.com/photos/fortmccoywi, and on X (formerly Twitter) by searching “usagmccoy.” Also try downloading the My Army Post app to your smartphone and set “Fort McCoy” or another installation as your preferred base. Fort McCoy is also part of Army’s Installation Management Command where “We Are The Army’s Home.”
| Date Taken: |
05.05.2026 |
| Date Posted: |
05.06.2026 01:46 |
| Story ID: |
564470 |
| Location: |
FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
| Web Views: |
17 |
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0 |
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This work, Fort McCoy celebrates 37 years as Tree City USA with community planting event, by Scott Sturkol, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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