COLUMBUS, OH - Landowners in the state's 49 southern counties, who agree to plant at least five acres of white pine, can obtain the seedlings at no charge, thanks to the cooperative effort of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Forestry and the Ohio operations of MeadWestvaco.
"A 5-acre planting represents more than $500 worth of trees," said John Dorka, chief of the ODNR Division of Forestry. "MeadWestvaco purchases up to 600,000 seedlings each year for this program and is directly responsible for reforesting more than 18,000 acres of the state since it started in 1987."
Landowners interested in planting more than 35 acres can qualify for financial assistance for planting through MeadWestvaco. There are no restrictions on how the seedlings may be used or harvested once they are mature.
MeadWestvaco Corporation is a leading producer of packaging, coated and specialty papers, and consumer and office products. Using sustainable forestry practices, MeadWestvaco owns and manages more than 3,000,000 acres of forests.
State service foresters can assist landowners in qualifying for the free seedlings as well as provide technical advice about how and where to plant the pine trees. Contact information for specific state foresters is available at ohiodnr.com.
ODNR is the largest producer of tree seedlings in the state, selling more than 3,000,000 trees each year at the Marietta State Nursery for reforestation efforts. ODNR foresters have planted more than a half-billion trees in the past 80 years.