Just in time for Arbor Week, the city of Albany has designated its eighth Heritage Tree.

The city’s tree commission selected the new specimen, a black walnut at 1431 Highway 20 N.W., after considering its species, size, structure, age and location, said City Forester Craig Carnagey.

Heritage Trees are considered to be the city’s most magnificent.

Albany will kick off its annual recognition of Arbor Week Saturday by giving away free trees, showing off the city’s older trees and demonstrating how to care for trees in an urban setting.

Arbor Week 2006 is Saturday through April 8.

Albany will celebrate its urban tree program and being recertified as a Tree City USA at the one-day event at City Hall, 333 Broadalbin Street S.W., from 9 a.m. to noon.

Lebanon, Sweet Home, Corvallis and many other Oregon cities also have been recertified for the status of Tree City USA.

Albany City Council President Doug Killin will start the celebration by reading a proclamation in honor of Arbor Week.

About 300 oaks, maples, dogwoods, and golden rain trees will be given away on a first-come, first-served basis.

Carnagey and others will demonstrate proper pruning methods and provide information on tree planting and care, choosing the right tree for the right place, landscape water conservation, and the urban forestry program.

Then, those who want a closer look at Albany’s downtown trees can take a walk around the grounds at the Linn County Courthouse to view a variety of trees and then go to Monteith Riverpark, where a small arboretum is being established. The arboretum is comprised of trees appropriate for planting under overhead power lines.

A shuttle van will take those who want to North Albany to see the newest designated Heritage Tree.

Carnagey said managing trees in an urban setting is full of challenges.

“First, the conditions make it difficult for trees to grow well,” he said. “Urban soils are typically poorly suited for healthy growth, and spaces are restricted for root and canopy development and both can interfere with sidewalks and power lines.”

No matter the challenges, Carnagey said, it is important to maintain an urban forest to help mitigate the effects of living in a busy, crowded environment.

Over the past 20 years, he said, research has shown that trees in urban areas improve air quality, help to conserve energy, reduce storm water runoff, increase property values, attract businesses and reduce stress.

Albany has been a Tree City USA since 1994.

“That means the city has demonstrated responsibility for the management of trees in public ownership,” he said. “The city regularly trims it trees along sidewalks and streets, and we have a neighborhood tree planting program, and the city forester is a certified arborist through the International Society of Arboriculture. The city also has a tree code that regulates the pruning and removal of public trees.”

For information about Arbor Week activities or the city’s tree program, contact Carnagey at 917-7679, craig.carnagey@cityofalbany.net, or visit www.cityofalbany.net/trees.

Albany’s

Heritage Trees

Messenger Oak at Heritage Mall. The Oregon White Oak has a trunk circumference of 12.5 feet and a crown spreading about 90 feet. It is thought to be about 150 years old. The tree is on land that once belonged to the prominent Burkhart family.

Hybrid Persian Walnut at the National Energy Technology Laboratory n Albany, 1450 Queen Ave. S.W. The tree has a 15.5-foot circumference and a crown spread of 110 feet. The tree can be traced back to 1899 when it grew near a small home at the Albany Nurseries business.

Copper Beech at 532 Ferry St. S.W. The purple-leaf variety probably was planted in the early 1900s. The circumference of the trunk is 11.5 feet. The tree is in front of the Pfeiffer House, which was built as a retirement home by the owners of the Revere House Hotel.

Shagbark Hickory at Henderson Park on the Eighth Street Canal on Calapooia Street. The tree can be traced back to the earliest property owner, John Irving, a leading businessman in Albany. He was considered a “lawn artist.”

Incense Cedar at 406 Sixth Ave. S.W. The tree is slightly more than 17 feet in circumference and is 200 feet tall. The tree sits in front of the “Stewart House” and probably was planted in the early 1880s.

American Chestnut at 393 Creswell Lane N.W. The tree sits on land that probably was barley sold to brew beer in Salem.

Camperdown Scotch Elm at 547 Seventh Ave. S.W. The tree is an ornamental landscaping tree and is known for its weeping branch structure.

Black Walnut at 1431 Highway 20 N.W. The tree is considered to be one of the oldest and largest black walnut in the state. The tree measures 83 inches in diameter and probably was planted when the adjacent house was built in 1889. The tree is said to be the “mother” of more than 5,000 seedlings.