On April 24, 1970, Richard Nixon, empowered by a Joint Resolution (84 Stat. 200), issued Presidential Proclamation 3980 (84 Stat. 2228) to designate the last Friday in April as National Arbor Day.

“At a time when we as a people are becoming more concerned with the quality of our environment, it is fitting that we give more attention to the planting of trees in rural and urban communities. In crowded city streets or suburban shopping centers they stand as things of beauty and as reminders of man's inseparable link with nature.”

The first Arbor Day occurred on April 10th, 1872, in Nebraska City, Nebraska, where civilians celebrated by planting an estimated one million trees. Since then, Arbor Day has grown in popularity and is now celebrated worldwide on the last Friday in April. A monument stands in Nebraska City to celebrate Arbor Day's origins and bears the words “Other Holidays Repose Upon The Past; Arbor Day Proposes For The Future”, which Richard Nixon quotes in his 100th anniversary 1972 Proclamation to commemorate Arbor Day. (Sources: 86 Stat. 1628, Library of Congress ) Although Arbor Day is celebrated on the last Friday in April, some states observe and celebrate it on dates that coincide better with their area's local planting climate.

The National Tree:

In 2004, the United States designated the “tree genus Quercus, commonly known as the oak tree” as the national tree (36 USC 305). There are approximately 435 species of oak trees worldwide, and 90 are found in North America alone.

Oaks provide support to life more than any other tree genus in North America and can live for hundreds or thousands of years. (Source: National Park Service ) Learn more about the different species of oak trees on the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Field Guide to Native Oak Species of Eastern North America, 2017 (Source: USDA)

Additional Resources

• Read President Roosevelt's 1907 message to school children on the significance of Arbor Day, on the Library of Congress's website.
• Learn about the U.S. Forest Service's nurseries and seed extractories and how they provide seeds and plants for reforestation projects.
• Visit the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, D.C.

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