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Arbor Day: Idaho State Crews Plant Seedlings To Rebuild Burned Area Near Kooskia

Idaho Department of Lands

Friday was Arbor Day, a reminder that this is the time of year when crews are planting trees in Northwest forests.

Robbie Johnson from the Idaho Department of Lands says her agency expects to put nearly two million seedlings into the ground on state endowment land this spring. Many of those will be planted in an area near the north central Idaho town of Kooskia that burned five years ago.

“It was called the Clearwater Complex fire and it was huge and big. The pictures, if you look at them, you can see how barren the landscape is. You can still see charred trees. It hurts to look at it. But to see the seedlings go in will be a great way to bring that area back to life," Johnson said.

She says the Department of Lands is giving people a way to participate in the replanting. You can go to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and post a message with #MyIdahoTree and a crew member will plant a seedling with a marker that has your name on it.

“We’re going to take a picture of the tree with the person’s name by it and it will be a great place to have a lasting reminder of how you helped this area get back to life and how we were all working together in this time during Covid-19," she said.

Johnson says you don’t have to donate any money; just submit your name. If you’re not on social media and want to be included, you can email your name to the Department of Lands. The address is comments@I-D-L.Idaho.gov.