SAINT PAUL, MN – A bipartisan group of legislators commemorated Arbor Day and highlighted the importance of environmental stewardship by continuing a tradition of giving a tree to each house member.
“Minnesota has had a long history of supporting the environment,” said Rep. Rick Hansen (DFL – South St. Paul). “This bipartisan tradition is a great way to bring Minnesotans together and emphasize the importance of protecting the environment.”
Rep. Hansen was joined by Carly Melin (DFL – Hibbing) and Reps. Jenifer Loon (R – Eden Prairie) and Denny McNamara (R - Hastings) to keep this tradition of more than 20 years going another year.
This year the trees chosen were the Burr Oak and the Red Pine, which is the official state tree. The trees were purchased by the legislators from Itasca Greenhouse, Inc. in Cohasset, MN.
Arbor Day, founded by J. Sterling Morton in Nebraska in 1872, is a national holiday observed on the last Friday in April. On the first Arbor Day in 1872 an estimated one million trees were planted.
For more information on the Red Pine, the state tree of Minnesota, visit: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/trees_shrubs/conifers/redpine.html
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