Ohio volunteers undertake reforestation program
The Stark Free Tree Program is looking for a few good trees. Three million, to be exact. That’s the long-term goal of the nonprofit corporation, which just launched a $183,000 initiative to plant 225,000 trees on the major highways in Stark County, Ohio.
About 175 volunteers showed up on April 26 to plant the seedlings in Canton. Over the next five years, Routes 77, 62, 21 and 30 are slated for reforestation efforts.
State Sen. Scott Oelslager, chair of the Senate Highways and Transportation Committee, helped out. “Planting trees along the highway provides for not only a more scenic route, but a better environment as well,” he said at a press conference announcing the event.
Some of the workers were part of a new partnership with the Canton Municipal Court, where judges have begun sentencing offenders to tree planting.
All volunteers were trained in safety and tree planting procedures on the morning of the project and were assigned to teams for each planting site. The program provided all necessary tree planting tools.
Routes 62 and 30 within the Canton city limits were targeted for 25,000 trees. The remaining 200,000 seedlings are expected to be planted throughout Stark County over the next four years.
To help the project along, the city of Canton, responsible for mowing on the highways targeted for this year’s plantings, has agreed to reduce mowing along the highways.
“The biggest risks to tree survival are mowing and weather,” says project founder David Kidd. He says state and federal regulations require a 30-foot clear zone adjacent to all paved surfaces. “Beyond that, we want to plant trees and stop mowing. The project will be careful to minimize tree planting along key commercial zones and in front of business signs.”
Even with good weather and no accidental mowing, tree seedling survival is expected to be low – 10 to 25 percent – partly due to the local soil quality.
The project is being funded through new grants from the Herbert W. Hoover Foundation, the National Tree Trust and major donors to the Stark Free Tree Program including Marbel Corp., Countywide Recycling and Disposal Facility and the Rotary Clubs of Stark County.
