PORTSMOUTH — Although the town's Arbor Day plantings were a wash-out on Friday and had to be rescheduled, the tree commission still had cause for celebration.

This was the first year the town was awarded the "Tree City U.S.A." designation by the National Arbor Day Foundation.

Paul Dolan, state urban forester, presented the award plaque to the tree commission at the last town council meeting.

"I come bearing gifts (from the state). And you don't usually hear that," Mr. Dolan quipped.

Only one in four or five communities receive this designation, Mr. Dolan said. To be named a tree city, a community must form a tree commission, adopt a tree ordinance, celebrate Arbor Day and spend $2 per capita on planting or care of trees.

Tree commission chair Mary Gaffney said the designation "shows commitment by the town to community forestry."

During this year's Arbor Day celebration, the tree commission will plant seedlings at Melville and Elmhurst schools. St. Philomena School was a recent recipient of a dozen tree seedlings planted by the commission.

The tree commission formed three years ago and relies mostly on donations from nurseries, though the town usually reimburses the commission for the seedlings it gives away to residents during Arbor Day celebration. Members bring in their own mulch, tools and even trees from home to work about town.

Much of the town is farmland or residential, Ms. Gaffney said.

"We're not very densely planted with trees," she said. "And we're trying to change that."

Ms. Gaffney said being named a tree city will help them in acquiring grants for tree planting and maintenance.

Planting more trees has a bonus for property owners.

"Trees add economical value to land," Ms. Gaffney said.

The commission has a small nursery at Glen Farm where native trees are grown from seedlings until ready to be transplanted around town. Past plantings have been at the Turnpike Avenue playground, the post office, the transfer station and along West Main Road.

Next, the commission hopes to work with the town to plant salt-tolerant trees on the residential side opposite the sea wall on Park Avenue. Joining with the Portsmouth High School garden club to plant a "native forest" at the school is also on the commission's agenda.

Plant native

Rick Taylor, a tree commission member, said about 75 percent of Portsmouth's trees are not native and include many invasive species: Norway maple, sycamore maple, and English oak are some examples. These trees are weak and don't live as long in the area, he said.

Consequently, he said, the non-native trees did not fare as well as native species in the northeaster storm. The town reported removing 45 downed trees on public property alone.

Mr. Taylor said he didn't see any native trees toppled by the winds. He advised that residents consider that these storms frequently come through the area and they should "plant native": Trees like red oak, pitch pine, Atlantic white cedar, flowering dogwood and sugar maple.

"It just makes ecological sense" to plant native trees, Ms. Gaffney added.