Lawrence is certain to become a much more attractive and verdant community because of ongoing efforts by the city’s forestry supervisor, Jim Beebe, and parks and recreation director, Fred DeVictor. The current project is scheduled to plant some 900 new trees in key spots in the next year.

Have you noticed the recent installation of plantings on the median strips along Bob Billings Parkway from Iowa Street to Kasold Drive? There are due to be more to the west, according to DeVictor, as well as new plantings along Clinton Parkway. Kasold also is in need of forestation, and new plantings are on the docket when the street is rebuilt. South Iowa Street also is a key site.

One of the beauties of this venture is that it is a cooperative effort that involves the city, developers and private property owners. Watering systems are impossible to install and maintain in most locales, but various efforts such as city watering trucks and private watering systems will help the trees grow and flourish.

There is no way to assure all the new trees will survive, but DeVictor says that an 80 percent rate is reasonable if everyone chips in. Considering the plantings and where they are going in, that should do much for the town.

Efforts have been made to get a diversity of tree types – oaks, maples, gingkos, crabs, lace bark elms, sweetgums, for example. The plan calls for minimizing the presence of more vulnerable trees such as Bradford pears, beautiful as they can be.

This tree installation project has been on the drawing board for some time, and many residents had hoped to have it started and completed sooner. But budgeting has been a problem and it took some arranging by officials to get this off the ground, or rather, in the ground.

But things are moving, and the coming spring should see a lot more friendly, welcome vegetation in spots where before there was only bareness. The trees are not huge ones and it will take most of them a few years to become truly resplendent, but the city should be applauded for a project that should bring great enjoyment to Lawrence residents for years to come.