Council, college to plant 175th anniversary trees

by PAUL MORTON

Associate editor

Oberlin is known as a "tree city," and it could claim a greater foothold on that designation if city council implements a proposal set forth by council president David Sonner.

At the May 19 meeting of city council, Sonner brought up a proposal for the city and Oberlin College each to plant 175 trees this year. Each tree planted by the city and the college would symbolize one year in the 175 years since the joint founding of the city and college in 1833.

"In 1833, when Oberlin, both town and college, were founded in the middle of a swampy forest, the landscape in all directions was trees, trees, trees, trees," Sonner said. "Now, 175 years later, Oberlinians can, at once, commemorate and honor our beginning and honor our posterity by planting one tree for each of the town's 175 years and one tree for each of the college's 175 years."

He asked council to refer the matter to the administration to determine the cost and the logistics of the 175 trees proposed for the city to plant. He said the college plans a tree planting as part of their anniversary celebrations.

"It is uncertain whether they will count out 175 trees," Sonner said. "But I think if the city would do it, that number would very effectively symbolize the history of Oberlin, and our parks and public lands would benefit by it."

He said he does not intend the trees to be planted in tree lawns. Council member Ron Rimbert said he thought the proposal was a good idea, especially if the trees would be planted in city parks.

"For example, the (Hamilton Street) recreation complex is in need of trees," Rimbert said. "There's no shade out there when it gets really warm. We could put a couple trees out there, here and there -- quite a few, actually -- and that could really help out."

The city already plants a number of trees each year through the Oberlin Municipal Light & Power System curb lawn tree replacement program. Utility services manager Doug McMillan said OMLPS has planted a total of 200 trees since 2002, when a comprehensive survey of all tree lawn trees was completed.

In 2003 OMLPS received a $10,000 grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to help pay for the tree replacement program. McMillan said the program has received a budget of $25,000 each year since 2004.

"We've never used it all," McMillan said. "For example, last year we only used about $13,000 to do 44 trees."

He said the trees cost about $5,000, and the city paid Edwards Tree Service $8,000 to plant them.

McMillan said the city also participates in the American Public Power Association's Tree Power program, which offers municipal power suppliers advice on types and care for trees. He said one Tree Power community is chosen at random each year to receive a $2,500 grant to supplement that city's tree program.

Council voted unanimously to refer the matter to the administration to determine the cost of the project and where the trees might be planted. Sonner said the proposal, if carried out, would make a statement about the city's commitment to sustainability.

"The planting of 350 trees will not, of course, restore the landscape to the forest primeval of 1833," he said. "But it will signal our dedication to the restoration of this community's environmental heritage, such that, at the celebration of Oberlin's 350th anniversary there will be reason to commemorate and honor what we began in 2008."