Event planned in Tonasket on April 30

TONASKET – Plant a tree – and get it for free.

In honor of Arbor Day, and in recognition of the loss of countless trees in last summer’s Okanogan Complex fire, the Oroville/Tonasket Long Term Recovery Organization (OLTRTO) is hosting “Growing Forward: an Arbor Day Celebration” at Tonasket’s Triangle Park on Saturday, April 30, 10:00 a.m. – noon. The park is located on Highway 97 at the north end of Tonasket, across the street from Beyers Market.

This isn’t just a symbolic celebration. The Arbor Day Foundation has provided the trees that OLTRO will distribute to all who want them. A tree that lives 40 years is capable of removing a ton of carbon from the atmosphere; whether or not you suffered loss of vegetation from the fires, this is a great way to provide a long-term benefit to future generations. We’re also inviting families and individuals to celebrate the natural beauty of the area we live in with arts and crafts for kids and experts on hand to answer questions about trees and help with making “firewise” decisions for your home site.

From 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. there will also be early tree distribution for those Okanogan Complex survivors, by invitation only as arranged through disaster case managers.

The Oroville/Tonasket Long Term Recovery Organization works to coordinate response, resources and preparedness for disasters affecting northern Okanogan County. Find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/OroTonLTRC/ or contact Megan Barton at megandboyle@yahoo.com.