Idaho Forest Products Commission to Give Away 20K U of I-Grown Tree Seedlings Statewide
April 25, 2023
MOSCOW, Idaho — To celebrate Arbor Day, The Idaho Forest Products Commission on Friday, April 28, will give away 20,000 Idaho-native tree seedlings that were grown at University of Idaho’s Franklin H. Pitkin Forest Nursery.
The coniferous blue spruce seedlings will be given away at distribution sites statewide. A list of sites distributing seedlings is also available online.
“Trees are harvested to improve forest health, reduce fire risk or make the wood and paper products we all use,” said Jennifer Okerlund, director of the Idaho Forest Products Commission. “It’s this management that makes our forests sustainable for future generations. In Idaho, for every tree harvested, seven more are growing for the future.”
The university’s nursery, staffed by experienced horticulturists and U of I students, has sold seedlings to the Forest Products Commission since at least 2016. The Idaho Forest Products Commission purchased the seedlings using funds from the state’s customized Timber License Plate and industry support, and donates them for free to Idahoans.
The commission, founded by the Idaho Legislature in 1992, promotes information statewide about forest land management and products.
“We choose to go through the Pitkin nursery because we believe in supporting education in Idaho, specifically when it comes to natural resource understanding and thoughtful management,” Okerlund said.
At the U of I Pitkin nursery, students sow each seedling by hand before managing fertilization, growth and irrigation and then packing and shipping out the seedlings to sites statewide.
“From the very beginning, through the end, student employees are growing the seedlings with strong supervision from staff,” said Andrew Nelson, director of the U of I Pitkin Nursery. “The partnership with the Idaho Forest Products Commission helps fulfill our land-grant mission to train students for the workforce and educate Idahoans on the importance of trees and reforestation.”
View the Idaho Forest Products Commission’s full Arbor Day events lineup online.
“Idaho is our uniquely beautiful home, and trees are our state’s great renewable resource, sustainably managed for the future,” Okerlund said. “This Arbor Day, we hope you will look to Idaho’s forests for all the things they contribute to where we live and our way of life. There’s no better way to celebrate than planting a tree of your own.”
ASSETS AVAILABLE: Photos and video of the Pitkin Nursery are available for download and use in an online gallery.
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Media Contact:
Kyle Pfannenstiel
Media Relations Manager
208-329-8947
kylecp@uidaho.edu
About the University of Idaho
The University of Idaho, home of the Vandals, is Idaho’s land-grant, national research university. From its residential campus in Moscow, U of I serves the state of Idaho through educational centers in Boise, Coeur d’Alene and Idaho Falls, nine research and Extension centers, plus Extension offices in 42 counties. Home to nearly 11,000 students statewide, U of I is a leader in student-centered learning and excels at interdisciplinary research, service to businesses and communities, and in advancing diversity, citizenship and global outreach. U of I competes in the Big Sky and Western Athletic conferences. Learn more at uidaho.edu.