By Gary Lloyd
CLAY — The Alabama Tree Recovery Campaign kicks off its third year Feb. 8 with the distribution of tens of thousands of trees to residents in northern Alabama.
This final phase of the campaign will bring 18 north Alabama communities a total of 25,000 trees during February in an effort to support recovery and help restore the tree-lined streets, shaded parks and beautiful neighborhoods of the state that were damaged by the April 2011 tornadoes.
Clay will be participating. Trees for the city of Clay will be distributed Feb. 12 at the Public Works building at 6423 Clay-Palmerdale Road.
Georgebrook neighborhood in Clay on Jan. 23, 2012 (left), and Georgebrook on Jan. 23, 2013 (right)
photos by Scott Buttram and Gary Lloyd
“Anyone interested may pick up trees that day, but I encourage everyone who was impacted by the (Jan. 23, 2012) tornado, especially in Georgebrook and Paradise Valley, where so many trees were lost, to plant as many trees as possible,” said Clay City Manager Ronnie Dixon.
Trees will also be distributed Feb. 8 at Turkey Creek Nature Preserve in Pinson and Feb. 15 at Argo City Hall.
Trees will also be distributed in Birmingham, Blountsville, Fairfield, Forkland, Fultondale, Geiger, Henagar, Irondale, Midfield, Moody, Myrtlewood, Rainsville, Sylvania, Vestavia Hills and Woodstock.
“Providing trees to assist in facilitating restoration efforts is a way the Alabama Tree Recovery Campaign can help with the healing process,” said Dan Jackson, Alabama’s acting state forester. “Homes and neighborhoods can be restored by planting beautiful trees, along with the many environmental, economic and social benefits those trees provide.”
The Arbor Day Foundation’s Community Tree Recovery Program has become a growing resource for tree recovery efforts following natural disasters. Thus far the program has delivered more than 120,000 trees to Gulf Coast families impacted by Hurricane Katrina; distributed 18,000 trees to residents affected by the 2011 tornado in Joplin, Mo., and 1.5 million trees to Bastrop, Texas, following the Bastrop County Complex Fire. The Foundation has also planted more than 30 million trees in the nation’s forests devastated by disease and fire.
For more information, visit www.arborday.org/Alabama.
Contact Gary Lloyd at news@trussvilletribune.com and follow him on Twitter @GaryALloyd.
