TREE PROGRAM

The Wright Soil and Water Conservation District has been in the “tree business” a very long time.  Though actual numbers and District activity are sketchy before 1969, the promotion of tree planting for conservation seems always to have been a priority.  As Wright County is in the transition stages of changing from a rural to a more urban county, the tree program also reflects this change.  Over the past fifty (50) years, plantings have gone from large farm windbreak plantings to smaller snow catch or privacy windbreaks or larger 600 – 1,000 trees orders to smaller 150 – 200 trees orders.

Between 1967 and 1981, the Wright District also operated a tree planting program.  In 1981, the tree planting program became a tree planter rental program which continues today.  In 1995, the District’s two (2) older tree planters were sold and a Miller tree planter purchased.  This tree planter continues to make large tree plantings “fun” and “do-able”.

Each year, the Wright Soil and Water Conservation District offers trees for sale.  Tree species offered consist of a core group or type of tree with several species that vary year-to-year.  Hoping to make the Wright SWCD tree program special, 2002 was deemed “The Year of the Fruit”, 2003  “The Year of the Nut”,  2004 "The Year of the Native” and  2005 “The Year of the Favorite”.  2006 was designated as "The Year of the Evergreen".  So-o-o-o-o, in 2006, six (6) types of shrubs, five (5) types of small trees, eight (8) types of large trees and seven (7) types of evergreens will be available for purchase.  These trees will be:

Shrubs:                                            Small Trees:     

Arrowwood                                         Mountain Ash

Highbush Cranberry                        Canada Red Cherry             

Juneberry/Serviceberry                   Common Chokecherry

Redosier Dogwood                           Red Splendor Crabapple

Persian Lilac                                       Native American Plum

Common Lilac

Large Trees:                                     Evergreen:

Green Ash                                           White Cedar

White Ash                                            White Pine

White Oak                                           Black Hills Spruce

Red Oak                                              Colorado Spruce  

Siouxland Cottonwood                    Concolor Fir

 Sugar Maple                                      Austrian Pine

Red Maple                                          Norway Pine

Hackberry

All trees must be purchased in multiples of 25 (i.e. 25 lilac – NOT - one of this and one of that) for 80 cents each.  Order blanks may be requested by calling 763-682-1933 ext. 101.

Trees certainly make our world a more beautiful and interesting place to live and the Wright Soil and Water Conservation District continues to be proud of its part in this conservation effort.