Fort Scott partners with Kiwanis to plant trees

FORT SCOTT, Kan. -- The planting of trees is one way to help beautify the community, and local residents will have the chance to do just that again this year by participating in the city's annual street tree program.

In the program, a collaborative effort between the City of Fort Scott and the Fort Scott Pioneer Kiwanis Club, city officials will provide trees free of charge to area residents upon request. The trees will be planted near the street in the parking area of a resident's property, program organizers said.

"They'll basically be planted in the parking area between the sidewalk and the curb on most streets," Kiwanis representative Phil Gorman said. "They'll be planted in the dirt about 20 feet in from the street. It's just street planting to improve the community."

The trees will not be planted near the "sight triangle," or area of visibility near a street corner or intersection, so that the trees will not interfere with visibility and will allow motorists, cyclists and pedestrians to travel safely through them, Gorman said.

The program began more than 30 years ago when many trees in the area began to die, a situation that caused several area residents to start an effort to replace those trees, Gorman said.

"The program is no small effort, but has had a significant positive impact on the city," he said.

Forestry experts will determine which type of tree will be planted on a resident's property and precisely where the tree will be planted after they conduct evaluations of the site for suitability purposes. These evaluations are expected to be conducted in mid-May by a state forester and Bourbon County Extension Agent Delta George. The trees will be planted in late May or early June, Gorman said.

A resident may request a specific type of tree, but it may ultimately be determined that another type of tree is more suitable to be planted on that person's property, he said.

Local resident Ralph Carlson, who has been involved in the tree program for several years, said that a survey conducted in recent years by the state forester was recently compared to a survey conducted when the program first began. The comparison showed that the city's tree population has increased by 3,300 trees since the program began more than 30 years ago, Gorman said.

The tree program has been very well-received in the community, and has also proved to be a benefit to the environment, since it began in the 1970s, Gorman said.

"We used to get at least 120 requests (for trees), and that's dwindled a little bit over the years, but I'd say it's been extremely popular," he said. "If people will just take care of them and let them grow. It's (the program) a way to give back to the city and the patrons."

Trees that will be available for planting include the Oklahoma redbud, the Shingle Oak, the Shumard Oak, the Northern Red Oak, and the Lacebark Elm. To be considered for placement of a tree, contact Fort Scott City Clerk Diane Clay at (620) 223-0550 to obtain a request form. Requests need to be completed and submitted to City Hall by May 5.