Governor Bredesen Announces TDOT’s New Tennessee Groves Program
Tuesday, June 30, 2009 | 08:07am
Program Provides a Way to Memorialize Loved Ones, Commemorate Events & Beautify the State
NASHVILLE – Governor Phil Bredesen joined TDOT Commissioner Gerald Nicely and Department of Tourist Development Commissioner Susan Whitaker at the Bristol, Tennessee Welcome Center today to launch Tennessee Groves, a program that provides people with a way to memorialize loved ones, commemorate special events and beautify the state. The program is a partnership between TDOT and the Tennessee Urban Forestry Council.
“Tennessee Groves is a beautiful way to create a lasting memory of a loved one, honor a fallen friend, or celebrate a special occasion, such as the birth of a child,” said Bredesen. “By planting flowers and trees we are also adding to the natural beauty of our state and improving the air we all breathe.”
During the ceremony, Bredesen joined Nicely and TDOT’s Region One HELP crew to plant the first Tennessee Groves flowers in honor of Eddie Newcomb, a HELP Supervisor in Knoxville who died in May 2009.
“The flowers planted today will be a lasting memorial to Eddie Newcomb’s service and dedication to the state of Tennessee,” added Nicely. “Eddie really enjoyed his work with the HELP unit in Knoxville and through the years he came to the rescue of hundreds of motorists. His legacy will continue each summer when these flowers bloom.”
Through Tennessee Groves, individuals or groups may purchase trees or flowers for planting at one of four Welcome Centers in the state: I-81 in Bristol, I-55 in Memphis, I-75 in Chattanooga and I-65 in Giles County south of Nashville beginning in the fall of 2009. Each donor will receive a certificate denoting the type of tree or flower to be planted, the donor’s name and the name of the person or event being honored. Individual trees will not be labeled; however, the Tennessee Urban Forestry Council will inscribe the names of both the honorees and the donors in a book at each Tennessee Groves site. Trees will be planted each year between November and March which is the optimum time for tree planting.
“Our Welcome Centers are the front doors to our state and the Tennessee Groves program will create a stunning entry into Tennessee,” said Whitaker. “We are pleased to work with TDOT and the Tennessee Urban Forestry Council to create beautiful gateways into the volunteer state that will also honor Tennessee citizens.”
Three types of plantings are available: shade trees, including sugar maples, red oaks and magnolias, are available for $275; flowering trees such as dogwoods and redbuds may be purchased for $150; and flowers, including daffodils, tulips and daylilies may be purchased for $25.
“These flowering and shade trees will create a beautiful setting at our Welcome Centers and will improve the natural environment by cleaning and cooling the air and helping to control erosion which protects areas from water pollution,” added Jennifer Smith, State Executive Director of the Tennessee Urban Forestry Council.
TDOT hopes to expand the program to more areas, such as state rest areas, in the future.
“Tennessee Groves is a good alternative to roadside memorials,” said TDOT Chief of Environment and Planning Ed Cole. “Placing a memorial along a busy roadway is dangerous to both the person placing the memorial and passing motorists. Those memorials can be distracting and can serve as projectiles should a driver inadvertently leave the roadway and strike it. In contrast, Tennessee Groves is a safe, lasting and legal way to honor and remember a loved one.”
For more information on the Tennessee Groves program or to purchase a tree or flower, visit www.tn.gov/tdot or www.tufc.com.