Libby to celebrate Arbor Day with tree planting

After a very long winter, springtime is just around the corner and Libby’s volunteer Tree Board is busy with pruning city trees, assessing winter tree damage, and preparing to celebrate Arbor Day.

Libby is one of 3,400 towns (41 in Montana) that are part of the Tree City USA program that provides the framework for community forest management for cities and towns across America.

Sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation, communities achieve Tree City USA status by meeting four core standards of sound urban forest management: maintaining a tree board, having a community tree ordinance, spending at least $2 per capita on urban forestry, and celebrating Arbor Day.

This year Libby celebrates its 24nd year as a Tree City USA member. Under the stewardship of the volunteer tree board Libby has added hundreds of trees to its urban forest for future generations to enjoy. These accomplishments have been made possible because of community volunteers that assist the board in many of its activities. The Libby Tree City USA board and the City of Libby are committed to continued management of its public trees.

In 2016, the Tree Board and volunteers planted 10 sapling size deciduous trees, of a wide variety of species, within the city. Some of the planted trees replaced damaged or dead trees. Others were placed in locations to improve the scenic value of a city street or to provide shade at Riverfront Park.

Board members also provided periodic maintenance of tree fencing and bole protection as well as periodic watering where adjacent homeowners are not able or willing to do so.

Volunteer board members continue to provide recommendations to the City on taking periodic action for site-specific insect control. Where the assistance of high lift equipment is not necessary, tree board members also conduct critical branch pruning on city trees, clearing lower branches, dead limbs, and to promote specific branch form.

The City of Libby annually recognizes Arbor Day with the mayor’s reading of the proclamation and a planting effort on the last Friday of April.

This year’s celebration will occur at 4 p.m. on April 28th, beginning at Riverfront Park. The event will commence with the planting of three trees: Japanese lilac, spring snow crab and purple flowering crab. Following that, six additional trees will be planted at other locations in the city. The public is welcome and encouraged to participate in this event. Grants from the state Department of Natural Resources and Conservation along with the Society of American Foresters greatly assisted in the purchase of these trees.

With the coming growing season, the tree board would like to encourage folks to provide their trees with proper maintenance and care for the benefit of the community. Deep watering once a week, during the summer months, is essential for tree survival, especially for younger trees.

As questions arise, the public is welcome to call members of the tree board for assistance in caring for city trees adjacent to their property.

The Libby Tree Board is interested in having new volunteers join our group. Volunteers don’t have to be professional foresters, but to simply have an interest in city beautification through tree planting and maintenance.

For information on Libby’s tree ordinance or the management of the city trees, please contact Jim Hammons, Supervisor of City Services at 293-2731. Members of the tree board are April Rainey, Russ Gautreaux, Gary Huntsberger, and Brian Baxter.