Program aims to plant more trees in Powell

Posted 7/2/19

Josh Pomeroy’s professional title is arborist, but he calls himself a “tree nerd.”

Last fall, he learned about a program in Cheyenne that is planting 400 trees per year. Being …

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Program aims to plant more trees in Powell

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Josh Pomeroy’s professional title is arborist, but he calls himself a “tree nerd.”

Last fall, he learned about a program in Cheyenne that is planting 400 trees per year. Being passionate about trees, Pomeroy thought Powell could launch a similar program here.

“Powell is leaps and bounds above other communities in Wyoming when it comes to trees and tree care,” he told the city council last month. Pomeroy gave councilors a presentation on the program, which they’re calling Homesteader Roots.

Pomeroy said the town’s trees — some of which were planted in the homesteading era — are aging, and they’re not always being replaced.

“If people realize how quickly we are losing our urban forest ... a program like this will really help,” he said.

Pomeroy met with some other tree-minded people in town in January, and they formed a steering committee to set up a program based on Cheyenne’s. Things started forming, albeit a bit slower than expected.

“We found it was going to take longer than we thought to get our ducks in a row,” Pomeroy explained.

Now things are really starting to take shape, and Pomeroy is doing some outreach.

The way the program works is a homeowner who wants more trees applies for one through the program. Volunteers assess the homeowner’s property to see if there’s room within city ordinances regarding right of way.

Once they determine if and where a tree can go on the property, the homeowner pays a portion of the tree’s purchase price, including shipping and delivery. Homesteader Roots picks up the rest of the costs.

Volunteers plant the tree and then water, mulch and weed it for 12 months.

The program uses no city money. It is funded through private donations and sponsorships from non-profits and businesses.

The goal is to encourage more tree planting, and by providing tree care for a year, it helps ensure the tree will continue to grow and thrive after it’s planted. And the sharing of costs makes the tree an investment for the homeowner.

“We want some homeowner buy-in,” Pomeroy said.

Homesteader Roots partnered up with Powell Economic Partnership, allowing it to be the fiscal agent for the program’s donations. The Powell dog park, Wiggly Field, took the same approach for managing its donations. Since these are small, community operations, it doesn’t make sense to set up their own non-profit.

The goal right now is to plant 25 trees by May 2020. They’re pushing slower growth, hardwood trees that grow well in Powell’s climate, including Bur Oak and Linden.

“This is another way to show the community we really care,” Pomeroy said.

Businesses and individuals wishing to donate or volunteer and homeowners interested in applying for a tree can email homesteaderroots@gmail.com.

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