Groups Plant 1,200 Trees Between Two Bridges

A half-mile stretch of ground between two highway bridges is home to 1,200 new saplings, the work of Boy Scouts, Fairchild Air Force Base, the state and the Gleneden Homeowners Association.

The trees were purchased by the state Department of Transportation for $5,000 after Gleneden homeowners agreed to help the Scouts plant the trees as part of the requirements for the Eagle Scout award.

Close to 100 people helped put the one-gallon starts of five varieties in the ground: pine, wildrose, golden currant, berry and orange. Homeowners donated soil and mulch so the dirt could hold moisture better, and Fairchild brought in a water-tanker truck for irrigation.

Mark Wright, 15, of Northwood Middle School, and Mark Romney, 16, a Mead sophomore, initiated the project.

The Scouts said they saw the need for the trees in order to prevent erosion and improve safety and neighborhood appearance.

Both boys and Barry Southerland, president of the homeowners association, camped in the parking lot of Covenant United Methodist Church the night before the planting to protect the trees from theft.

The trees were planted between the old and new U.S. Highway 395 bridges. The Scouts will be responsible for keeping them irrigated.