Governor Tate Reeves Proclaims February 9th as Mississippi Arbor Day
By a proclamation from Governor Tate Reeves, Mississippi will recognize Arbor Day on Friday, February 9, 2024.
“National Arbor Day” is recognized in April. However, we honor Arbor Day in Mississippi on the second Friday in February,” said Mississippi Forestry Commission (MFC) State Forester Russell Bozeman. Late winter is the best time to plant new trees because it helps young trees focus on putting down roots.”
Mississippi has celebrated Arbor Day since 1926 as a special day to recognize the statewide contributions of trees and forests. The benefits of forestry to Mississippi include a $13.1 billion contribution to the state’s economy, more than 62,000 jobs, and an average of $10 million toward education through Public School Trust (16th Section) Land timber sale revenue.
Additionally, Gov. Reeves has proclaimed February 9th – 15th as Tree Planting Week across the state. During this week, community partners, families, and friends will join to celebrate the benefits of trees and community forests to recognize the unique beauty and diversity of Mississippi’s native trees. Alex Ballard, MFC Urban and Community Forestry Coordinator, states, “We look forward to the Arbor Day activities slated for this year. One of our big events is in Amory, Mississippi, with a special tree-planting ceremony. We will plant 40 trees to replace some of the canopy destroyed during the tornado that impacted the city last year. Hopefully, this will go a long way to help beautify the community.”
Leading up to Mississippi Arbor Day, many counties host events, sales, and tree giveaways. As a public resource, the Mississippi Forestry Commission works with our natural resource partners to compile a statewide list of tree giveaways and sales. Mississippians can find a list of the events here.
“On behalf of the Mississippi Forestry Commission and all of our forestry partners, I want to thank Gov. Reeves for this proclamation,” Bozeman said. “I also want to encourage all Mississippians to take advantage of the tree giveaways and sales in their communities to help spread the importance of trees for future generations. Healthy trees lead to healthy lives.”
