\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Willis C. Winters, director of the Dallas Park and Recreation Department, estimates that recent storms destroyed more than 700 trees on city property, a majority of which averaged 24 caliper inches (that\u2019s the diameter of the tree for you non-foresters). They were pecans, red oaks, cedar elms, and cottonwoods. Some were bigger than 60 caliper inches. Seeing the raw, ravaged stumps around town is still heartbreaking. In a press release today, Winters said the city\u2019s replanting plan would result in more than 5,200 new trees in parks. That seems like a great start. But Oscar Carmona, assistant director for park maintenance and operations, noted that all of the new trees require irrigation for two years to survive. The cost of an irrigation system for a small tree grove is $5,000. \u201cIt will cost the department more than $1.25 million for the new plantings,\u201d Carmona said. So the city is asking for donations from corporations and individual citizens. Here\u2019s how to help: Individuals, community groups as well as corporations and business can sustain citywide reforestation efforts with donations to Dallas Parks Foundation (dallasparksfoundation.org) and Texas TreesFoundation (texastrees.org). Online contributions can be made at Dallas Parks Foundation and Texas Trees Foundation. Checks payable to Dallas Parks Foundation \u2013 Memo: Trees or Reforestation \u2013 can be mailed to Dallas Parks Foundation, 9540 Garland Road, Suite 381-117, Dallas, TX 75218. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Willis C. Winters, director of the Dallas Park and Recreation Department, estimates that recent storms destroyed more than 700 trees on city property, a majority of which averaged 24 caliper inches (that\u2019s the diameter of the tree for you … Continue reading