Board Seeks to Shelter Fall, Spring Tree Seedling Giveaways From Cuts

MOSCOW – Rather than eliminate one of the fall and spring tree seedling giveaways at the Farmers Market, the Moscow Tree Commission Tuesday decided to ask the City Council if it could retain both events, but decrease the number of free trees at each.

The council asked the commission to cut its budget of $2,270 by $500, and suggested eliminating the fall tree giveaway, which was budgeted for that amount. Instead, the commission will ask if it can decrease spring and fall giveaway budgets from $750 and $500, respectively, to $500 and $400. It also would eliminate $150 allocated for other education, outreach and workshop endeavors – thus achieving the requested cut of $500.

The seedlings are purchased from the University of Idaho Pitkin Nursery. Commissioners also discussed asking supporters to donate to purchase trees for the giveaways and said they were willing to donate, as well.

All city commissions have seen significant cuts for the 2026-27 budget. The City Council will finalize the budget at its Aug. 17 meeting.

In other business, the tree commission:

* Voted unanimously for the two questions it wants to include in the fall citywide survey. Each of the nine city commissions will submit two questions by the end of August for city approval and inclusion in the survey, which is sent to a random sample of city residents every two or three years.

The tree commission questions ask: 

1. How the group best can serve the community, with options such as tree care information and workshops, financial incentives for tree planting and maintenance, tree selection help and a neighborhood tree ambassador program. 
2. How respondents prefer to receive information, with online, email and city utility bill mailing included among the options.

* Voted unanimously to approve a previously developed list of goals, with more robust use of social media as a priority for meeting the community’s need for tree care information. Other goals include planting choices to benefit pollinators, resist wind damage and adapt to a warming climate; outreach to the Moscow School District; and a city tree inventory update.

City Parks & Facilities Manager David Schott, the city staff liaison to the commission, said he will plan to bring one or two from the list of nine or ten goals to upcoming meetings for the board to discuss and develop.

The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Moscow Tree Commission is Sept. 1.