ReTree Nebraska

Trees are great because they:

• Combat the greenhouse effect
• Clean the air
• Provide oxygen
• Cool the streets and the city
• Conserve energy
• Help prevent water pollution
• Help prevent soil erosion
• Provide food

Plus, they're incredibly fun to climb!

As the founding state of Arbor Day, you could naturally assume that Nebraska has a copious amount of healthy trees. We're terribly sorry to disappoint you Mr. Morton. Nebraska's trees are facing many issues:

• Dramatic decline in community forest cover over past 30 years.
• Inadequate species and age diversity to sustain the urban and community forest resource.
• 66% of population lives in cities and towns with 470,000 acres of community forest.
• High concentration of green ash, black walnut and Scotch pine, at risk to EAB, thousand cankers disease, and pine wilt, respectively.
• Declining urban and community forest cover reduces mitigation of harsh climatic conditions in the Great Plains.
• Declining ability to mitigate climate change impacts (temperature, wind, air quality).
• Risk of losses from attack by invasive species due to high value of trees in urban areas and the ecosystem services and economic benefits provided.
• Some communities have greater community forestry assistance needs than others.

ReTree Nebraska is a 10-year cooperative initiative currently led by the Nebraska Forest Service, Nebraska Statewide Arboretum, Inc., University of Nebraska Rural Initiative, University of Nebraska–Lincoln Department of Agronomy & Horticulture and the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. They are also partially funded by the Nebraska Environmental Trust. 

ReTree is working to reverse the decline and improve the sustainability of community trees and forests by community outreach and education. By 2017, ReTree plans to reach their goal of properly planting and maintaining 1 million high quality, native trees in Nebraska communities. 

Every year, ReTree Nebraska holds a weeklong tree planting event. This year ReTree Week is Sept. 23-29. To learn how to get involved visit their website at retreenebraska.unl.edu/retree-week.