It goes without saying that the vast majority of RVers value our magnificent national forests and wooded state parks. As a group we cherish spending quality time with our families camping, hiking and fishing within and around the many public lands across America.
We take pride in, and almost come to expect, our forested areas to be abundant with healthy trees. However, because of recent record wildfires, storms and insect epidemics–millions of trees have been destroyed in forests across our great country.
Many areas have burned so severely that replanting is necessary. “Yet much of the U.S. Forest Service budget has been diverted to simply fighting these massive fires, with much less funding left for replanting,” says the Arbor Day Foundation. “The Forest Service has identified a backlog of more than one million acres* of America’s national forests that need to be replanted.”
Since 1872, Arbor Day has been a holiday when individuals and groups are encouraged to plant and care for trees. National Arbor Day is celebrated every year on the last Friday in April. This year that is April 25. (In addition, each state celebrates its own state Arbor Day holiday and in Washington State, it is the second Wednesday of April, which is today, April 9.)
Learn more about how your family can help plant those trees by contacting the Arbor Day Foundation by clicking here.
Photo: Early morning in late summer on Lake Bonepart, Okanogan National Forest in eastern Washington State. (Julianne G. Crane)
