The Florida Forest Service will host a tree distribution on Saturday, October 12 in Bristol. All area residents are invited and eligible to receive free ready-to-plant trees to replace those lost during Hurricane Michael.
“As we reflect on the anniversary of Hurricane Michael, we must not forget the work ahead of us in the Florida Panhandle,” said Agriculture Commissioner Nicole “Nikki” Fried. “These Community Tree Recovery events are part of countless efforts to help re-establish communities and bring hope to Floridians as they rebuild their lives.”
In partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation and sponsored by AT&T and FedEx, the Florida Forest Service will host the Community Tree Recovery event at the Liberty County UF/IFAS Extension Office located at 10405 Theo Jacobs Way in Bristol. The event begins at 10 a.m. EST.
Arborists, foresters, and environmental professionals will be on-site to answer questions about tree planting and care.
“The loss of tree coverage due to Hurricane Michael resulted in significant damage to local economic and ecological resources in hundreds of communities across the Florida Panhandle,” said Jim Karels, State Forester and Director of the Florida Forest Service. “Reforesting these communities will take time, and we are committed to helping ensure the long-term success of recovery efforts.”
Since January, the Florida Forest Service and partners have given more than 11,000 native trees to area residents. Additional tree distribution events are planned in the eleven Florida counties impacted by Hurricane Michael.
The Florida Forest Service, a division of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, manages more than 1 million acres of state forests and provides forest management assistance on more than 17 million acres of private and community forests. The Florida Forest Service is also responsible for protecting homes, forestland and natural resources from the devastating effects of wildfire on more than 26 million acres.
