BEDFORD – Lawrence County’s local invasive initiative has a bounty this year to cut landscape pears on your property and in return get a native tree.
Earlier the deadline for cutting landscape pear trees in Lawrence County was April 17 to trade in a picture of the before and after (stump) for a nice native tree.
Officials still have some native trees left therefore, the deadline has been extended through Friday to cut your Bradford, Cleveland, Aristocrat– whatever cultivar of landscape pear tree it might be. If the pear tree doesn’t produce edible pears, it is an invasive pear tree.
Take a before and after picture and submit that picture to Evanna.phelps@usda.gov. Then, you can pick up a native tree at the Hoosier National Forest office on Friday, April 23 between 3 p.m. until 6 p.m. to those who have cut a tree and been approved by Evie.
There about 20 redbud, serviceberry, and yellowwood trees left. Information on those native trees can be found on the Lawrence County KIC Facebook page.
The trees will start making berries soon. This causes environmental harm when birds eat them and they spread into natural areas. Officials hope there will be people participating in the bounty, cutting their trees, and coming in for a free tree today.
If you have questions, you can contact Teena Ligman at 812-278-0139.
