Having predicted immediately after his election that Barack Obama would plant a garden at the White House, rural land consultant Curtis Seltzer pens another Country Real Estate column in which "Bub" again visits Highland County, Virginia, this time as president, and learns about the Appalachian forest. Excerpts:
“You’re looking at a mixed-age forest, heavy to maples lower down and oaks higher up.”
“So this isn’t close to wilderness, what I’m walking through?”
“No, it’s just some west-facing woods at about 3,000 feet that have been used for timber since the late 1700s. Genuine wilderness is almost impossible to find in the East.” . . .
“Why are those trees dead?”
“They’re hemlock. A little bugger called the woolly adelgid killed them a couple of years ago. Some survived, but with a lot less green.” . . .
“Maybe the kids and I will plant a tree or two at the White House.”
“While you’re at it, plant a couple in a national forest where they will be part of the country’s sustainable energy future.”
“You know what? I might like to be remembered as the first green President more than the first black President.”
Seltzer offers a few laughs, mostly about the Secret Service. To read his full column, click here.
1 comment:
Hemlocks in Kentucky are also under threat from the woolly adelgid. The organization Save Kentucky's Hemlocks (www.kyhemlocks.org) is dedicated to saving the hemlocks in our state.
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