City Trees is a premier publication focused on urban + community forestry. In each issue, you’ll learn how to best manage the trees in your community and more!
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/143980
steaders to plant trees. Then, following the Dust Bowl of the 1930s, the planting of conservation trees began, to form windbreaks—or shelterbelts, as they are commonly known. This effort resulted in rows of hundreds of thousands of trees paralleled across the plains. Mother Nature did not put trees there, but we did. North Dakota is home to about 55,000 miles of these belts of trees, more than any other state. Many of these plantings continue to protect fields from the wind, effectively reduce soil erosion and the loss of soil moisture, and create rich habitat for wildlife. In addition, when strategically placed, windbreaks also serve as clever "living snow fences," keeping roads free from waist-high snowdrifts, contributing to safer winter driving conditions and helping to conserve budgets for snow removal. As predicted by forester-scientists who were proponents of the 1930s shelterbelt-planting project, " ... such an effort will have a spiritual effect far greater than any physical effect which can be measured." There you have it: trees are good for the soul. We've known it all along, and now researchers have shown ways that these effects can indeed be measured. Trees (aka "green environment") increase worker productivity, decrease stress levels in adults and children, decrease feelings of confusion, anger, and depression, and enable feelings of revitalization and positive engagement. That's worth celebrating. In many communities, even a small project can make a huge impact. North Dakota has put in place the Trees for North Dakota Trust Fund, which generates revenue from a state income tax check-off. This supports the Community Family Forest grant program, intended to honor families in the state by planting trees in communities, and to strengthen the tradition of annual tree planting. ND Forest Service staff work closely with these communities to assist with site and species selection. Green ash has been widely over-planted, and ongoing inventories confirm that street tree populations in North Dakota consist of 30 to 50 percent ash. Every visit to a community in the state offers an opportunity to remind residents that emerald ash borer is just one state (please keep it there, Minnesota—thank you) and one load of infested firewood away from devastating the landscape. These Family Forest grant projects are one way to minimize the impacts of any invasive pest by diversifying community forests throughout the state, one tree at a time. The premiere tree awards celebration in North Dakota 24 Proud distinction occurs each fall, and is planned in conjunction with an NDSU football game, traditionally known as the annual Trees Bowl. These Trees Awards recognize individuals, organizations, and agencies who have contributed in an outstanding way to forestry activities in North Dakota. Trees and football? It seems to work: the team record for this event is 19 wins and 3 ��������������������������� ������������������������ ������������������������������� ������������������� ��������������� ������������������������������������� ���������������� ����������������� ��������������������������������������� ����������������������������������� ���������������������� �������������� ���������������������������������� ���������������������������� ���� �������������������������������� � � �������������������� ���������������������������������� �������������������������������������� ������������������� ������������������������������������ ������������������������������������� ������������������������������������ ����������������������� ����������������������� �������������������������������������������������������������������� ������������������������������������������������������������������� ���������������������������������������������������������� City Trees