A Word from the President Trees Virginia has a new guy at the helm

Dear Trees Virginia Members,

We have an exciting spring in front of us with many Trees Virginia initiatives. Our annual retreat created a broad range of urban forestry issues to address within our organization and across the state.  The council, assisting the state urban forester, Paul Revell, has reviewed and posted the Request for Proposal (RFP) for Urban and Community Forestry Assistance Grants.  Every community should review their urban forestry needs in the context of this RFP—it’s online! ( www.vdof.org )

 Our goal is to serve as many communities as possible all the while fostering urban forestry awareness and our communities' goals. For those interested in discovering more about our 2004 urban forestry goals and initiatives, please give us a call or email.  We are working on everything from street tree selection guidelines with VDOT to creating tree nurseries to serve our communities through private/public joint ventures.  National Arbor Day, April 30th, is just around the corner.  Let's all get out there and plant a tree!

Our weather has been dry, so remember OUC, only you can prevent wildfires!

Finally, we all owe a salute and debt of gratitude to Dwayne Jones, past Trees Virginia president, and two retiring board members, Dan Henry and Charles Blankenship (see article, back page). Their work and leadership over the past years in urban forestry have been invaluable assets to us all.

Have a wonderful spring and let us know your urban forestry concerns and needs.  

Sincere regards,
Cliff Fox
President, Trees Virginia