Nebraska: The Tree Planters’ State

Evans, N. and Erdkamp, B. Tree Planters' Notes 55(2):14-23. 2012.

From the ponderosa pine forests of the Panhandle’s Pine Ridge to the hardwood forests of the Missouri River bluffs, Nebraska is rich in tree and forest resources. Early settlers, however, encountered a land with few trees. Nebraskans have planted millions of trees since those early days, earning the nickname The Tree Planters’ State in the late 1800s. Today, Nebraska has more than 3 million acres of treed land with 516 million trees that represent at least 39 species. Eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana L.) is the most abundant, followed by ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Lawson and C. Lawson) and green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marsh.). Nebraska has more miles of river than any other State, and nearly two-thirds of its forest land is adjacent to streams and rivers. About 13.3 million trees can be found in Nebraska communities, but that is half of what was present 30 years ago. Several tree-planting programs are under way to reverse this decline. Trees have long been an important component of Nebraskan agriculture, and about 1 million conservation tree seedlings are distributed in the State annually.

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Author(s): Nancy Evans, Becky Erdkamp

Publication: Tree Planters' Notes - Volume 55, Number 2 (2012)

Volume: 55

Number: 2