The Upper Big Blue NRD provides thousands of trees across the district annually, however, 2022 was an exceptional year for NRD trees as it was the celebration of 50 years of Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts and 150 years of Nebraska’s tree planting holiday, Arbor Day. Throughout this year of celebration, the Upper Big Blue NRD offered extra promotions in addition to their regular tree programs to make tree planting more accessible. 

In the spring, the NRD promoted a commemorative tree planting on public property in all communities in the district that wished to participate in the 50th year celebration. The trees were 4’-8’ nursery stock trees of any variety, for which the communities would be reimbursed (up to $300). Stromsburg, Polk, Beaver Crossing, Gresham, Aurora, Utica, Waco, and York all planted trees in parks, at courthouses, or on other public grounds, adding beauty to their community with this program.

Via the annual Conservation Tree Program, the NRD provided more than 23,000 seedlings for planting across the district and more than 7,000 of them were planted by the NRD tree team in May and June. 

In partnership with Executive Travel, the NRD provided an extra financial incentive to a handful of landowners installing windbreaks during that time. Executive Travel underwrote $1,100 of the cost of these machine plantings, which ranged from lilacs and red cedar around a home in Milford, to chokecherry, plum, and hackberry at the site of future building project in Hastings. The Executive Travel funds were distributed to the first five landowners to request machine-planted trees when NRD tree sales opened for the season. 

The summer brought wild weather, and with it, a renewed interest in the NRD’s Storm Damaged Tree program. This program is available to all district communities and residents who lose trees due to tornadoes, strong winds, hail, and ice storms. 

This program offers a 50 percent cost-share to replace trees (up to $300 for an individual and up to $10,000 for a community). Seven individuals made use of this program in the summer of 2022 to replace maples, spruce, oaks, and lilacs on their property.

Similarly, the NRD offers two levels of Community Tree Resource Program to encourage either new or replacement plantings for public benefit. The Fillmore County Ag Society used this program to add trees to the local fairgrounds in summer 2022. 

In celebration of 150 years of Arbor Day and 50 years of Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts, NRDs throughout the state provided commemorative trees in partnership with Nebraska City Tourism and Commerce, with the goal of reaching all 93 counties. The partnership, called The Gift of Trees, included the Upper Big Blue NRD with tree plantings in Adams, Clay, Fillmore, Hamilton, Seward, and York Counties completed in fall. Plantings took place at courthouses, fairgrounds, and other public spaces.