Some observant visitors catch a glimpse of the small sign as they enter Sevier County. You pass it on the right as you leave I-40 at exit #407. It is not a big flashy sign like so many of the others that dot highway 66 for the next twenty miles.

Most drivers are staring out the window in the opposite direction where Blalock & Sons Co. is leveling a 200 acre mountain. All the trees have been removed from this property and it sticks out like a sore thumb. This eyesore at our front door speaks volumes about the small sign on the opposite side of the highway.

The small sign may be dated and its days may be numbered. You see, the small sign reads "Welcome to Sevierville, A Tree City USA." The other day, as I passed the denuded hill on the left side of the road, I passed that small sign and it got me thinking.

As I drove along I wondered if Sevierville still deserved to be classified as a "tree city?" Just what does it mean to be called a tree city? I looked it up and there are 4 Standards that a city must comply with to be called a tree city.

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