Oklahoma-Grown Seedlings Available Online

By Oklahoma Dept of Wildlife Conservation

01-11-2010

Planting trees is for the birds, and this year the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry has wildlife habitat improvement packages of tree seedlings that make that job even easier!

In partnership with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, Oklahoma Forestry Services is offering three different packages of seedlings that will enhance the habitat of deer, songbirds, turkey, quail and a variety of other wildlife. Each wildlife packet is made up of 25 each of four different species of trees and shrubs chosen specifically to improve the wildlife habitat of your property.

“Planting the appropriate trees can be a great way to enhance wildlife habitat on your property,” said Mike Sams, private lands biologist for the Wildlife Department. “Planting a tree today can be a long-term investment for future generations.”

Oklahoma grown seedlings are available to landowners for a broad range of conservation projects. Landowners use the trees for windbreaks to protect crops and livestock, timber production, water quality protection, erosion control or other natural resource projects such as firewood plantings and Christmas tree production.

“Now is the time to begin thinking about planting seedlings, and foresters from ODAFF are available to assist you,” said State Forester John Burwell. “Oklahoma’s seedling planting season runs from December through early April and fall is the best time to prepare the planting site to make the planting job easier.”

Landowners can purchase their wildlife habitat improvement packages online, as well as choose from over 35 species of trees and shrubs. Seedlings are one year old, bare-root, and each species is packaged in multiples of 50 with a minimum order of 100 trees. They are to be used in rural conservation plantings and cannot be used for ornamental plantings or resold as living trees.

All orders will be handled on a first-come, first-served basis, so landowners are encouraged to visit http://www.forestry.ok.gov today to choose their tree seedlings for planting this winter. The seedlings will be available for pickup or shipment starting in mid January, but orders are being taken now via the online store or you can request a paper order form by contacting the Department’s Forest Regeneration Center at 800-517-FOREST.