Ohio Department of Natural Resources will operate a state tree nursery in Zanesville
COLUMBUS – The new Buckeye State Tree Nursery will be located in Zanesville, according to a press release from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
The goal of the nursery is to address regional shortages of suitable tree seedlings, assist with integral tree conservation projects, and invest in the future of Ohio’s forests.
It will be located at the same site as the previous Zanesville nursery, which closed in 2003. Seedlings will be grown in greenhouses and containers.
Work on establishing the tree-seedling nursery will begin immediately. Tree seedlings will require a year or two to grow large enough for distribution. Plans are for Ohio-grown seedlings to be available in the spring of 2026. The Division of Forestry will choose tree species to grow based on factors like regional suitability and tree benefits with a focus on hard-mast producing species that are beneficial for multiple landowner purposes, including soil stability, timber, wildlife, and aesthetics. The species list will include trees such as oak, shagbark hickory, black walnut, sycamore and American chestnut, in cooperation with experts from The American Chestnut Foundation.
The establishment of the tree-seedling nursery was approved by the Ohio General Assembly as part of House Bill 101. It will be operated by ODNR and will support various ODNR projects, including H2Ohio, the Girl Scout Tree Promise, and abandoned mine land reclamation projects.
“Ohio creates a welcoming habitat to many beautiful and awe-inspiring trees,” ODNR Director Mary Mertz said in the press release. “Combining the new nursery with our partnerships across the state will lead to a boom in conservation projects. That includes taking another big step in our goal with the Girl Scout Tree Promise to plant 250,000 trees in Ohio by 2026.”
The Ohio Division of Forestry promotes the wise use and sustainable management of Ohio’s public and private woodlands. For more information, visit forestry.ohiodnr.gov. For more information on ODNR visit ohiodnr.gov.
This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Zanesville will be home to Ohio's new state tree nursery
