The Wright City Cemetery Memorial Society has announced it has been awarded a $2,660 grant from the Missouri Department of Conservation as part of its community forestry cost-share funding program.
The majority of the funds, $2,100, will pay half the costs of the removal of two dead trees and the pruning of a third tree in the Wright City Cemetery. The remaining funds will be used to purchase a backpack sprayer and herbicide to be used to rid the undeveloped woodland areas of the cemetery of invasive plants.
“This financial assistance is significant for a small organization such as ours,” said Society President Jerry Prouhet. “It will allow us to undertake more beautification and preservation work.”
Besides the funds, Society members also appreciate the professional guidance of the conservation staff as the Society works to restore the woodland areas, Prouhet said. Staff have provided best practices advice on removal of invasive species, such as bush honeysuckle and Japanese honeysuckle, and of unwanted trees to open the forest canopy and allow the native oaks, hickories, walnuts and dogwoods to thrive, he said.
Prouhet also thanked arborist Ryan Ealy of Wright City for providing comprehensive, risk assessment reports of the two trees that will be removed. Conservation department officials award the cost-share funds to projects aimed at removing critical-risk trees.
The dead white oak and elm trees will be removed this summer or in early fall, Prouhet said, and a second, large oak tree will be pruned.
As part of the funding approval, the Society must plant four trees native to Missouri. Those trees will be furnished by Forest ReLeaf and will be planted in October, Prouhet said.
