NCFC Free Trees Program

The purpose of the Nebraska Community Forestry Council (NCFC) Trees is to help enable the planting of trees during the fall of 2011 in conjunction with ReTree Nebraska Week and other fall planting events. ReTree Nebraska week is September 18-24 but trees can be planted between September 1st, through November 15, 2011. The recipient’s event will be considered a ReTree Nebraska event. The NCFC Trees has several goals:

• Celebrate trees and promote the value of healthy trees for a healthy community.
• Plant at least 100 high quality trees in Nebraska communities in conjunction with a tree-related educational event or community celebration to promote fall planting.
• Award tree advocates by giving priority to ReTree Nebraska ambassadors, Tree City USA tree boards, Tree Campus USA schools, Nebraska Statewide Arboretum curators, individuals volunteering/supporting community forestry programs and Project Learning Tree facilitators.
• Assist volunteers and non-profit partners such as business improvement districts, neighborhood associations, government agencies, and other public or private entities with tree planting in public spaces and areas of civic importance.
• Promote the healthy establishment and ongoing care of newly-planted trees.
• Diversify the community forest by promoting a broader diversity of native and well-adapted non-native tree species recommended by ReTree Nebraska. A special emphasis will be placed on the planting of ReTree Nebraska’s 11 for 2011 underutilized trees species.
• Provide educational opportunities for people to learn more about trees and their proper selection, planting and care.

The Nebraska Community Forestry Council Trees is part of the broader ReTree Nebraska initiative which has the goal of engaging Nebraskans to plant 1 million high-quality trees in communities across the state by 2017.

The Nebraska Community Forestry Council Trees is part of the Trees for Nebraska Towns funded by the Nebraska Environmental Trust, a beneficiary of the Nebraska Lottery, and is coordinated by the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum in partnership with the Nebraska Forest Service and Nebraska Community Forestry Council.

Nebraska Community Forestry Council

The mission of the Council is to promote sound stewardship of community forest resources through tree advocacy and educational programs. The council partners with the Nebraska Forest Service, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension, Nebraska Statewide Arboretum, Inc., Nebraska's Green Industry, utilities, and Nebraska communities, businesses and citizens.

The Council acts as ambassadors for Nebraska's Community Forestry Program, and also helps administer the Nebraska Champion Tree and Heritage Tree Program.  The Council is helping to educate Nebraskans so that "tree topping" will be a thing of the past.

The NCFC is a vital link to the Nebraska Forest Service's clients.  Nebraskans may provide input to the Council by e-mail to Lyle Minshull.

The Council consists of members located statewide. Two representatives from Green Industry associations (Nebraska Nursery and Landscape Association and Nebraska Arborist Association) are present on the council.

For tree information, visit retreenebraska.unl.edu.

Nebraska Community Forestry Advisory Council Members:
Lyle Minshull, North Platte (NCFC chair)
Dave Stenberg, Lexington
Jeremy Koch, Cozad
Patrick Haight, Minden
Steve Lenzo, Chadron
Carolyn Hall, Bassett
Donna Christiansen, Plainview
Chris Vrtiska, Omaha
Kim Davidson, Omaha (NCFC secretary and Nebraska Nursery and Landscape Association representative)
John Wynn, Omaha
Robert Smith, Lincoln (Nebraska Arborists Association representative)
Steve Schwab, Lincoln

Nebraska Forest Service advisors:
Eric Berg, Community Forestry program leader, (402) 472-6511, eberg2@unl.edu
Jessica Kelling, ReTree Nebraska coordinator, (402) 472-0220, jkelling2@unl.edu


L to R: Dave Stenberg, Steve Lenzo, Carolyn Hall, Steve Vrtiska,
Pat Haight, Robert Smith, John Wynn, Donna Christiansen,
Lyle Minshull, Kim Davidson and Jessica Kelling.