i heave no respect for eco-warriors.. nor criminal trespassers...

check the facts at the link wherein it states:

- About 1/3 of the entire U.S. land mass is covered with forest.
- Each year 1.6 billion trees are planted in the U.S., which is about 6 for every tree we use.
- More trees are growing in America's forests today than at any other time since the 1890's.

in fact New Hampshire is the second most forested state in the country (Maine is first), with almost 84 percent of its land mass covered with trees.

i believe your premise is incorrect.. and it would be akin to arguing with an over-cooked noodle.. as to whether it is worth criminal trespass ...

get a job

Here is a link that might be useful: link

I fully support them.

We actually have a well known, well respected group here that gets permission to do it but permission or not as long as it doesn't pose a traffic hazard or adversely effect someone such as blocking a sign to a business and as long as it's not an invasive then I'm all for it.

My question is more about practicality - planting trees accomplishes nothing if the trees aren't watered, protected from deer and/or cars, pruned properly and maintained to prevent hazard if planted in an area where they'll co-exist with people, cars and buildings.

I can't imagine regular "guerilla watering" and regular "guerilla pruning". And, if these are biggish trees, that means driving & operating equipment without consent.

In the long run, I think you can better accomplish the goal of planting more trees (commendable, I believe) by advocating for programs and policy to do so, volunteering for organizations that do it, and planting trees on your property and on the property of consenting friends, family and neighbors.

I would think Ken would be happy if somebody was planting else other than a common Maples or Pear.

I suppose one could always ask if it's okay to plant a cool tree where there is not one. Or... Maybe if some car ran into and killed a common tree on the public area near your house and the city was too busy to replace it, maybe plant something cool there... heck, the neighbors will be happy to have a tree there. The city may not even notice the free tree. There are worse crimes.

I have to go with ken adrian and carrieb - but would add, be sure to plant the RIGHT species of tree in the RIGHT location. Join a group to promote trees in your area, the RIGHT trees with the RIGHT maintenance! Your desire is good, just focus it in the RIGHT direction.
hortster

I've planted a few extra bushes and trees on neighborhood common-ground and in areas my neighbors mostly ignore. Figure if I get caught I might have to remove them lol but then again I have good relations with them folk.

Trees aren't the answer to every bare piece of prairie. Some grasses and "wildflowers/weeds" are more endangered in the midwest. Imagine if some nut wandered into the prairie rehab land of the Botanical Garden and planted 50 perfectly fine Nyssas or something.

Hmmmm, also a bad idea to go planting metasequoias over natural gas lines or where they inhibit lines of sight your DOT or public utility maintains. I second the motion of putting in some organized volunteer time with a local group if you're thinking of mass plantings.

I'm with the tree planters. You might try to mimic birds and squirrels for best results. Another words, go around planting good seeds. Natural areas only.

In mowed area ask for permission. You never know, they might say yes.

It doesn't matter what are thoughts are, do what you believe is right. Don't let people dictate and control the possibilities that are within you.

lkz5ia- I hope you realize that is a ridiculous blanket statement. I could use that sort of justification to "harvest" every possible tree I can find until there are no trees. I dont blame gregW for gathering some info so he can make an educated decision.

I've heard about the desire to guerrilla plant trees, but never actually seen it. I dont see the problem with doing it in an ecologically responsible manner, and a financially responsible one as well. Whats the point of planting a tree thats giong to be cut down in a matter of weeks?

gclement- go ahead and use that justification for your particular example and you will be sitting in prison. I'm not here to give a detailed step by step regarding this illegal activity. gregw did this topic looking for support for what he already has visualized in his head, so I gave my statement to nudge him ahead.

Here is a link that might be useful: manifesto

" Natural areas only. In mowed area ask for permission. "
But the natural areas don't need any help from humans. To mimic squirrels in a natural area is to then make it unnatural. Mowed areas are not ideal either. Areas that are more likely to be targeted by gorhillas would be neglected areas, particularly those in urban areas.

The guerillas are simply too lazy to work with public agencies for permission to do what is a needed activity anyway, given strapped revenues. What these folks are after is publicity and headlines.

To follow lkz's inane comment:

"It doesn't matter what are thoughts are, do what you believe is right. Don't let people dictate and control the possibilities that are within you."

There are a lot of known invasive exotics on the property of the person making that statement. For all those who abhor purposeful planting of that category of plants, you know where to head with your saws, hatchets, and nonselective herbicides.

I'd say that is just about as responsible and level-headed as traipsing onto public land and installing what one saw fit to suit themselves.

Contact the county and figure out what's going on. Imagine planting a dozen acres of trees in an "abandoned" field only to find the county screwed up the lease to a farmer for a year so it laid empty.

In urban areas......
I wouldn't imagine it would be too difficult to contact St. Louis city, or any "relief" agency and locate some abandoned residential properties they'd let you plant some dogwoods in or whatever.

BTW, I'd order conservation department seedlings if your state offers them. Mine were $10 for 25.

"The guerillas are simply too lazy to work with public agencies for permission to do what is a needed activity anyway, given strapped revenues. What these folks are after is publicity and headlines."

Its not about lazy, its more about green anarchy. Why would someone that is doing these activities ask permission? That basically defeated what they set out to do. Most don't get publicity or headlines, drawing such attention is a negative. Something more along that lines would be this link

Here is a link that might be useful: publicity

Not to take sides but I'd disagree about it being about making headlines. The guerrillas plant and most of the time nobody sees them do it or ever realizes the work they've done.

Similar to removing invasive plants, one of the ways I try to make a difference in my community, it takes a selfless, altruistic person to want to spend their time and money doing this.

Planting trees is hard work as is removing established invasives and people that do this in the right of ways and neglected or abandoned properties are risking penalties, if not their lives to make the world a better place. So once again I voice my support for the guerrillas. Go guerrillas, go!

Wow, I did not realize how serious this is. Here in north Texas we are on short and tall grass prairies with a few scattered Mesquites, Celtis laevigata and Ulmus crassifolia. Not until the last 50 years or have people begun planting trees, mostly bottomland trees. We have long dry periods where that can stress out these larger trees. After that you can eliminate anything that grows in acidic soils. There are a lot of western sp. of oak etc... that can grow on natural rainfall. With future problems related to water, I'm game to try other native and adapted trees that really stand a chance to growing here being careful to not start a problem with invasives. Chinese pistache might be in this category. You can see them growing in wild areas.

Its not about lazy, its more about green anarchy.

Would that anarchists had more brains and education and less inane statements.

Nonetheless, I organized my first protest at 16 in school and got the newspaper out there and all that. I might have an idea or two on guerrilla activities (BTW, the former East Germany has guerrilla gardeners all over the place - look there for instruction).

Now. IMHO if you have less than, oh, 30" of rain a year, find some other plant to use. Bomb flowers in manure or something. Second, public land like parks or ROWs will likely cut the trees down, ensuring that your idea won't last 5 years, wasting everyone's time. Find some other plant to use.

Do it if you want, in an environmental manner, but don't be bitter at the world if someone mows down your little tree. Take the lesson that is in the situation and nothing more.

Dan

'Public Property' is a very broad concept.

Someone planting a single tree of a regionally obtained native species (say, hornbeam) in a large, forested region (say, a National Wildlife Refuge) out of some desire to 'touch the world' in a small tree, may be a different case than someone planting a tree of a large species in an urban lot.

Of course, laws tend to be written to the least common denominator (idiot). So, if they want legal codes to prevent people from planting native species from geographically distant populations (perish forbid it's a Green Ash Tree with an emerald ash borer riding shotgun!) or an exotic, possibly invasive species, then the law will simply forbid planting any tree on it.

Also, is there a 'blanket' federal or state law outlawing all tree planting by private citizens on all public property? Are there areas were it's not expressly illegal (yet, anyway) to plant one?

Richard.

It seems somewhat impractical to guerilla plant trees, and maybe not necessary, at least where succession of trees takes place anyway. Generally the canopy in the natural areas around here are full of beautiful native trees making lots of seeds. What's threatening the trees are invasive plants that are choking out the understory and tree-killers like Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) and Norway maple (Acer platanoides).

I do a little guerilla removal of these when I'm out walking in the neighborhood - carrying my Corona folding saw and cutting the vines and girdling the Norways. Some of these bittersweet vines are up to 3-4 inch diameter - when they are that big you know there hasn't been a soul bothering to cut them in 30 years!

Scattering seeds of native plants might be worth the effort, into habitats where they are native - some may sprout and have a chance (again, if young plants aren't choked out by invasives).

Another problem is beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I can't understand why the DOTs here plant grass alongside the highways. I much prefer any of the native "weeds" or "wildflowers" with their mix of blue purple and yellow flowers. Mow them once or twice a year and no problems with trees or shrubs blocking lines of site.

Hmmmm, does make me feel like sticking a weeping willow stick in the ground down by the local lake though ;)

Personally I think the DOT should grow corn along the expressways. Seems like a good spot with all the storm water runoff. Would also be good for some small wind turbines that catch the wind from passing vehicles.

Join and do volunteer work with The Nature Conservancy or the Sierra Club, or volunteer at your local arboretum or park. There is lots and lots and lots and lots of environmental work that NEEDS to be done.

Here is a link that might be useful: Volunteer with The Nature Conservancy

Personally I think the DOT should grow corn along the expressways.

No way they like the LL O3 and NOx. And I'm not eating corn with PM all over it and all the other cr*p that we let come out of tailpipes.

At any rate, what Brandon said just above.

Dan

Not food corn. Fuel corn.
It will already be preloaded with petrochemicals. âº

I hope the corn thing was just a joke....

Corn lf tissue can't take constant auto exhaust. Maybe switchgrass for cellulosic ethanol...

Dan

I have an 8 acre section of north Louisiana that would be available for pine tree planting sometime this coming winter. I'll even furnish the seedlings and tools for you to plant them. It could be a tree-planting vacation! Take a trip, see the country, plant some pine trees, help the environment, what could be better? Email me if you're interested.

Another thought would be to seek out elderly people in your area whose lots look like they could use a tree and offer to purchase and plant one for them. You'll be helping shade the world and helping people at the same time.

Then there are the official opportunities. Maybe there is something available locally.

Here is a link that might be useful: Public Lands Day

"Corn lf tissue can't take constant auto exhaust. Maybe switchgrass for cellulosic ethanol... "

That's funny because I see corn fields next to expressways all over america. But I'd be happy with switchgrass. Just as long as that wasted space- billions of acres are used for something productive.

Ken you have part of it. But you neglect to mention the automobiles and coal burning going on these days. The sky is filthy, trees help that. More trees = better air. That can't be as sinister as you claim.

I would say- plant food bearing trees such as nuts and fruits, in hard times people will have something to fight over.

If you want to plant a tree where someone will appreciate it - try your local public schools.
When my kids were young, a family asked the grade school if they could plant a couple maple trees if they made a commitment to care for them while their kids were at the school,& the school quickly said yes. Soon other families starting doing the same thing - and now there's alittle bit of shade around the playground. And you're creating future tree-lovers.