Mount Pleasant DC Forum

[jack]

Since 2003, Casey Trees has spearheaded an American Elm Restoration program to reintroduce American Elms, formerly a signature DC tree, to Washington’s streetscape.

Each winter, Casey Trees purchases and plants disease-tolerant cultivars in locations identified by the District’s Urban Forestry Administration (UFA). High school students, members of our Summer Crew, water and weed the trees in the summer for the first two years they are in the ground. In less than a decade, we have planted 1,750 American Elms along historic and designated American Elm corridors.

To take advantage of favorable weather conditions, we have started to plant American Elms in Ward 5 on Bladensburg Road. We will continue our planting efforts in Wards 1, 3 and 6 throughout January. Residents whose homes are adjacent to a UFA-selected planting location will be notified of the intended planting, planned planting date and how to care for the tree by neighborhood listservs and door hangers.

To facilitate community notification, I hope you will include news of the American Elm Restoration program on your website and in your meeting agendas, newsletter and email blasts. More information about our American Elm Restoration program, including identified planting locations, can be found on our website ( http://www.caseytrees.org/planting) and blog Tree Speak ( http://www.blog.caseytrees.org). The latter will feature a month-long series on the American Elm beginning in January as part of our inaugural American Elm Restoration Awareness Month.

If you have any questions regarding the American Elm Restoration program, please contact Jim Woodworth, Director of Tree Planting, at [email address removed - log in to view] or 202.349.1904. Comments about proposed planting locations can be directed to the UFA at 202.671.5133.

Regards,

Jared J. Powell | Director, Communications| Casey Trees

3030 12th Street NE | Washington DC 20017 | p 202 349 1894 | c 202 680 3553 | f 202 833 4092

http://www.caseytrees.org

[jack]

The eight new elm trees have been planted, at locations shown via this link:
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=205106007967204107478.0004987ca622a98a7dcee&ll=38.931038,-77.043622&spn=0.014672,0.014977&t=h&z=16

I do hope the adjacent residents have volunteered to provide care for these trees. Without substantial watering through the heat of midsummer, they will die.

-- Jack