Tree Seeding Program Yields Honors
Huber Engineered Woods (HEW) has been donating tree seedlings to landowners since 1998 to promote reforestation, support tree farmers and invest in forests near its operations. This initiative led to the planting of seedlings on approximately 8,000 acres (3,237 hectares) in Southeastern Oklahoma since 2005. HEW has also donated millions of seedlings in Georgia, Virginia and Tennessee.
For HEW’s commitment to the Trees for Oklahoma Seedling program, the team at the Broken Bow engineered wood production facility received the Environmental Excellence Award in the business category from Keep Oklahoma Beautiful at the organization’s 25th Annual Environmental Excellence Celebration in 2017.
HEW’s seedling program is designed to increase pine seedling reproduction and reforestation on recently harvested land or on lands being converted to forest. The effort is funded by HEW and administered by Oklahoma Forestry Services—a division of the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food & Forestry.
To support the program, HEW purchases seedlings from Oklahoma Forestry Services. Broken Bow provides the seedlings at no cost to landowners. The goal is for landowners to plant up to one million pine seedlings in Southeastern Oklahoma every year. This helps ensure sustainable timber supplies that support a productive forest industry. It also motivates landowners to maintain a healthy forest cover and increase forest production, protect water quality and improve the habitat for wildlife.
To monitor the success of the seedling program, Oklahoma Forestry Services provides HEW with a report each year that summarizes the amount of plantings.
Says George Geissler, State Forester with Oklahoma Forestry Services, “We are thrilled that Keep Oklahoma Beautiful has recognized Huber’s extraordinary efforts. This program not only helps private landowners offset replanting costs, but six million trees represent a substantial investment in and commitment to the health and sustainability of our state’s forests.”
