Philomath committee to distribute remaining Arbor Day saplings, seeks volunteers and a fall timeline

The City of Plymouth Public Works Committee on an open meeting discussed plans to disperse roughly 25–30 saplings left from the city’s Arbor Day program and to set up volunteer support for planting. "We had a successful Arbor Day event," said an unnamed tree-board representative, "had 125 participants, gave out 100 and some trees," and added that some stored trees are now 6-plus feet and need planting.

Chair Chris Salza said the committee favored a hybrid outreach approach: targeted postcards to neighborhoods lacking tree cover and availability at the city council booth at the Farmers' Market on select weekends. Committee members recommended letting residents reserve specific trees in advance and bringing only those specimens to market to reduce handling. "We could load up a truck of trees and have it by the city council booth," one member said, while others offered to staff the booth and provide planting advice to recipients.

Staff outlined volunteer onboarding and liability steps, noting the city now requires volunteers to submit an online application and that each volunteer effort should have a named champion to coordinate with staff. "Our insurers want to have someone in charge," staff said; the committee agreed staff would review coverage and return with guidance. Members also flagged timing: several said planting in mid-summer is risky and recommended mailing postcards in September, staging pickups or events in October and following up in November to improve survival rates.

Next steps included drafting postcard copy for review, scheduling a follow-up tree-board check-in in August, and identifying volunteers who can help plant or follow up with recipients. The committee emphasized prioritizing neighborhoods with low canopy—Newnan Creek Estates and other newer subdivisions were named as initial targets. The committee did not adopt a formal vote beyond approving the consent agenda earlier in the meeting; staff will report back with a postcard draft, insurance guidance and a planting timetable.