- City:
- Ashland, OR
- Site Type:
- Forestry and Agriculture, Tree Planting
- New Deal Agencies:
- Work Relief Programs, US Forest Service (USFS), Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)
- Started:
- 1939
- Completed:
- 1940
- Quality of Information:
- Very Good
- Marked:
- Yes
- Site Survival:
- Extant
Description
In the spring of 1940, Civilian Conservation Corps enrollees from CCC Camp Applegate planted 1200 ponderosa pines in an acre of land south of Ashland’s Lithia Park on behalf of a local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). The DAR’s leadership chose participation in the “Penny Pine” program as one of the organization’s Golden Jubilee National Projects and encouraged such groves across the country.
With the help of the CCC, the National Forest Service had started growing pines in nurseries for replanting as a means of revitalizing the nation’s forests. Selling them to organizations for a penny a piece allowed the public to share in the cost of the revitalization project. As suggested by the DAR’s commitment to the “Penny Pine” planting program, the popular effort was considered patriotic as well.
The one-acre grove was planted on City of Ashland land that was later given to the Rogue River National Forest. A fire in 1959 and road construction reduced the number of pines remaining from the original planting but a small stand remains.
Source notes
Correspondence between Jim Reed and Don Boucher, retired US Forest Service. June 2022.
"Daughters of the American Revolution - Memorial Plantation in Ashland Watershed," Southern Oregon Digital Archive. https://cdm16085.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16085coll18/id/3159
Site originally submitted by Jim Reed on June 24, 2022.
Additional contributions by Don Boucher.
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