Ten Free Trees Grant Program Award

Thanks to the Ten Free Trees program, an effort of the Nebraska Forest Service and the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum, the City of McCook will be receiving 10 trees for the second phase of the West City Entrance tree planting project this fall.

Last year the City of McCook began planting trees along the south side of the walking trail located at the west entrance into McCook. We planted 10 trees that we received from the same Ten Free Trees program. This second phase will continue the planting of trees west of last year’s project. We will be planting the following species of trees this year: 2 Chinkapin Oaks, 1 Early Glow Ohio Buckeye, 1 Flashfire Maple, 1 Schuette Oak, 1 Triumph Elm, 1 Bur Oak, 1 Northern Catalpa, 1 Princeton Elm and 1 Skyline Honeylocust. 

Last year we planted the following: 2 Bur Oak Canyon Bur Oaks, 2 Hackberries, 1 Skyline Honeylocust, 2 Chinkapin Oaks, 1 Acer Fall Fiesta Maple, 1 Sterling Linden and 1 Catalpa.

Despite providing a wide range of social, economic, and environmental benefits, most Nebraska community forests have been in steady and sometimes dramatic decline. Many challenges contribute, including extreme weather, insects, disease, and lack of diversity. The Emerald Ash borer is the latest major challenge added to the list.

In an effort to stop this decline and increase community forest resilience, the Ten Free Trees program grants up to 10 high quality trees per project for tree-related educational events and community celebrations promoting trees and fall planting.

In addition to simply planting more trees, the program goals include increasing appreciation and awareness of the significant value of community forests in Nebraska. Special emphasis is placed on species diversity and higher impact projects, especially street tree planting and projects in neighborhoods of highest need.

Ten Free Trees is supported by the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum’s Trees for Nebraska Towns Initiative, funded by the Nebraska Environmental Trust, the USDA Forest Service’s Community Forestry Inflation Reduction Act funding received by the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum, and the USDA Forest Service Landscape Scale Restoration funding received by the Nebraska Forest Service.

For additional information concerning the planting and maintenance of trees, please visit the following website for additional information: https://plantnebraska.org