THE PROMISE TREE PROJECT
The Oregon State Federation of Garden Clubs, Inc is working to provide replacement trees to victims of Oregon’s wildfire losses.
You can Help us achieve our goal!
Donation checks may be sent to:
OSFGC Promise Trees Project
c/o Karen Brown – 5211 Salmon River Hwy, Otis, OR 97368-9780
Promise Trees Information
Through County building departments, fire victim related organizations, and fire departments, $50 vouchers to buy a tree will be distributed. Homeowners who lost homes in the 2020 fire season who are rebuilding and have obtained a validated building permit are eligible for a voucher. Follow these links for OBTAINING VOUCHERS and to see a LIST OF NURSERIES that will honor your voucher.
Check out these articles to fire resistant trees and shrubs and guidelines to planting a tree.
https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/sites/catalog/files/projec t/pdf/pnw590.pdf guide to fire resistant trees
https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/sites/catalog/files/projec t/pdf/ec1438.pdf guide to planting trees
Our FLYER is ready for you to print. Please post this to your community bulletin boards, newspapers, radio stations, and hand it out to anyone interested in helping us rebuild our Green Oregon.
For more information contact Chair: Tanja Swanson tanjandy@gmail.com
Promise Trees Update April 15, 2024
After the devastating fires of the Fall of 2020 Oregon State Federation of Garden Clubs, Inc. started a project that we called Promise Trees. We wanted to help the many victims who lost their homes. It was decided to give $50 tree or shrub vouchers to homeowners who rebuild their homes after the fires.
For this we needed to fundraise and over the years we have raised about $40,000. We had to find contacts all over the state to distribute the vouchers. We also had to get nurseries on board to honor those vouchers.
It is 2024 now and a group of us are still meeting monthly. Not everyone from the 2020 fires was interested in the vouchers. So last June at our OSFGC Convention it was decided to allow victims from later fires to apply and also extended the deadline to December 31, 2026.
We have had quite a few requests from victims of last year’s fires, and we are so happy that we can help these people with a little gesture of empathy.
The hardest part is getting the word out, but working with government officials, fire stations and disaster recovery groups has been really helpful.
We appreciate the many Garden Clubs, individuals and State Garden Clubs who have donated money. Also the generous help from the National Garden Clubs Disaster Fund and from Keep Oregon Green.
We couldn’t have done it without you!
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!
Tanja
GET THE WORD OUT! The Promise Tree Team is asking for all club members to spread the word. We have vouchers to give away to Homeowners of the 2020-current wildfire loses. Follow the links below for information to share with your communities. Post the flyers on community bulletin boards, place service notices in your local newspapers, radio, television, and word of mouth. It has been noted that rebuilding is slow at this time, but most properties have a corner that will accept a tree and mark an owners intent for renewal, regardless of how long it takes to rebuild their home. This is a CALL TO ACTION!
