LAKE ELSINORE -- While businesses come and go in the historic downtown district, one thing remains a constant -- the canopy of trees that invites visitors to a calm drive or leisurely stroll down Main Street.

The corridor is one of numerous spots around town notable for trees, and in recognition of that and efforts to preserve and promote botanical treasures, the city has a new handle: Tree City USA.

Officials with the Arbor Day Foundation recently bestowed the honor on Lake Elsinore, which joins more than 3,300 other cities in the Tree City USA program. The foundation sponsors the program along with the National Association of State Foresters and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service.

"That's something to be proud of," said Lake Elsinore Parks and Recreation Director Ray Gonzales. "It lets people in the community know that we value our urban forest. People do like to live in cities that take care of their trees and their urban forest."

Though the foundation supports a variety of programs and educational activities, its primary focus is promoting the annual Arbor Day, and the proclamation of a municipality as a Tree City USA is intended to coincide with that.

Lake Elsinore's recognition is providing added impetus to the city's upcoming Arbor Day celebration, which Recreation Supervisor Maureen Foster Davis is helping to organize. The event also will feature a Kids Eco Fair. The event is scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon on April 4 at City Park and will include environmental displays and craft booths in addition to the Tree City dedication, Davis said.

"People might think things like Arbor Day are fluff, but it really cements what our community is," she said. "When you celebrate the small things, I think it helps people in realizing the reality of where they live and what its value is."

City Park is distinguished for its numerous trees and vast variety of species, she said.

"I think we have more older groves and natural groves than some other communities," she said. "We have a lot of indigenous natural areas of tree growth that kind of set us apart and that we haven't eradicated yet to put in housing."

To qualify for the foundation's designation, the city had to have a dedicated tree board or department, a community forestry program, a tree care ordinance and an official Arbor Day observance.

With its passage in late October of a tree preservation ordinance for the maintenance and protection of trees in public rights of way, the city fulfilled all the requirements. To meet the requirements for a board and forestry program, the city identified employees who are knowledgeable about trees and work on tree care and preservation, Gonzales said. The city already had regulations in place to protect 10 of the numerous palm tree species that are located within its limits.

"I think anytime a community decides that there is something worth preserving, it's a more conscientious community," Davis said.

Gonzales took the lead in getting the city in a position to meet the criteria and then applied to the foundation for the recognition. He said the designation should help the city in pursuing sponsorships and grants related to preserving and adding trees.

"It enables us to have a financial advantage when we apply for certain grants," Gonzales said. "That's something we're going to start exploring."

Contact staff writer Michael J. Williams at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2635, or mwilliams@californian.com.