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The search is on for a national tree Bob Pennell photo Jess Hinton, 9, left, and Logan Sanchez, 8, pack up and head for the car as they walk past oak trees in a park on Spring Street Wednesday. The majestic oak is one of many nominations for a national tree in a contest sponsored by the National Arbor Day Foundation. National Arbor Day Foundation holds vote By Paul Fattig Maynard Drawson, one of the nation�s premier big tree hunters, figures it�s high time that a national tree be named. After all, he can tell you that the United States has a national bird in the bald eagle, a national flower in the rose, even a national march in "The Stars and Stripes Forever." Yet there is no national tree. "But if we�re going to have one � and I think we should � then it should be representative of the entire nation," stressed the retired Salem barber who has searched Oregon for big trees to be placed on a national register. The national tree need not be a giant to symbolize the spirit of the nation, he said. 21 nominees Using the names of state trees as a base, the National Arbor Day Foundation has come up with a list of 21 suggested candidates for a national tree. They include bald cypress, birch, buckeye, cottonwood (poplar), dogwood, Douglas fir, elm, hemlock, holly, kukui, magnolia, maple, oak, palm, paloverde, pecan (hickory), pine, redbud, redwood, spruce and tulip tree. Eleven states have pines as state trees while six and the District of Columbia have oaks as state trees. However, those casting a vote can write in any tree they want. "An apple tree would do very nicely," he said. "They grow in every state. It would be a great representative for the whole nation." The apple tree is not among the 21 trees on a ballot being offered by the National Arbor Day Foundation in its "Vote for America�s National Tree" project which began Jan. 1. But the non-profit group based in Nebraska will accept write-in candidates in its quest to establish a national tree. Votes can be submitted until the midnight before National Arbor Day, which falls on April 27 this year. "America has the grandest trees on earth � the largest, the oldest and, we think, the most beautiful," said group president John Rosenow in a prepared statement. "It�s time for the American people to select a national tree as an enduring symbol of all of our magnificent trees, and of our natural heritage." The one-million member group has been getting requests in recent years to spearhead a movement to name a national tree, said spokesman Gary Brienzo. The group is a non-profit education organization dedicated to tree planting and environmental stewardship in both urban and rural settings. Although the vote has no official status, it would reflect opinions across the nation, he said. Congress would have to officially designate a national tree, he said. "All the states have a tree, and a lot of countries do," he added. "People are becoming more aware of conservation and are becoming more concerned about trees." Canada has a national tree in the maple, he said, adding that its parliament made the designation in 1996. Mexico�s national tree is the Montezuma bald cypress. Vote Anyone wanting to vote on the national tree can do so online or by regular mail. To vote via e-mail, log on to http://arborday.org and follow the simple directions. The deadline for voting by computer is April 26. Votes also can be cast on a 3-by-5-inch card, which should include the tree of choice and your name and address. The cards should be sent to America�s National Tree, The National Arbor Day Foundation, Nebraska City, NE 68410. Deadline for regular mail votes is April 1. The Oregon state tree is the Douglas fir, named after pioneer botanist David Douglas, a Scottsman who roamed the Northwest in the 19th century. The state tree was designated in 1939. In Washington, the state tree is the Western hemlock. Some Oregonians support the state tree as the national tree. The tree grows throughout much of the West, said Dave Hill, executive vice president of the Southern Oregon Timber Industries Association. The Douglas fir is a stately, hardy tree that symbolizes the American spirit, he noted. "It�s also a naturally renewable resource," he said. "It has superior quality wood favored by people in home-building and construction worldwide." But Steve Marsden, director of the Illinois Valley-based Siskiyou Regional Education Project, offers the madrone as a national tree. "That�s my favorite tree to look at out in the woods," he said. "It�s a very elegant tree, very tropical looking. "But any tree out in the woods that hasn�t been cut off at the knees is my favorite," he added. Former Rogue Valley resident Bill Perl, who now lives in the coastal hamlet of Lakeside, cast his vote for the redwood. The redwood is the world�s tallest with one specimen standing 368 feet tall, said the retired Air Force officer. The redwood is native to the United States, found naturally in California and the southwestern tip of Oregon, he said. "It�s an evergreen that retains its foliage � it�s a beautiful tree," he said. The redwood would be a good choice, acknowledged Jack Williams, supervisor of the Rogue River and Siskiyou national forests. But Williams, a fishery scientist by training, felt the cottonwood would be a better selection. "It�s a wide-ranging tree, one that is very beautiful in the fall," he said. "It�s also a very important wildlife tree. "It�s really representative of the riparian forests that have been lost over much of the country," he added. "It�s a beautiful tree that will grow throughout the United States." Don Ferguson, a Bureau of Land Management employee, favors the sugar pine. "It has an almost perfect form," he said. "It doesn�t hardly taper at all. The wood is clear. It�s a great looking tree." Tom Sensenig�s vote goes to the bristlecone pine. "It could very well be one of the oldest living organisms on earth," said the BLM forest scientist. Bristlecone pines up to 3,500 years old have been found, he noted. But he acknowledged the sugar pine is a majestic tree that would serve the nation well. "And Douglas fir � that would also be a good choice," he said. Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.