U.S. 395 tree project recalls simpler time

Tom Whear remembers when Highway 395 between Minden and Carson City was a cottonwood-lined lane. That changed in 1985 when the state widened the highway to four lanes and took out the trees.

But members of the Carson Valley Reforestation and Beautification Foundation remember the days when trees lined the highway and have been working for the past seven years to revive that vision.

"We tried lilacs, but they couldn't be seen from the highway," Whear said. "Then we tried small trees, but people would steal them, so now we plant large trees."

Ironically, Whear said, the foundation rarely has difficulty getting grants to purchase trees.

"But there's never any money to maintain them," he said.

Last week, they received a boost in the form of 2.7 miles of 3Ú4-inch drip line donated by Western Nevada Supply of Carson City.

Whear credits foundation founder Nick Koropchak with 80 percent of the work on the project.

Coldwell Banker Itildo's Marsha Tomerlin started the tree project in the early '90s along 3 1Ú2 miles on the west side of the highway.

Some of the trees closer to town are survivors of that effort.

Tom said the foundation's trees are planted between Abrosetti Ranch and the Settelmeyers' driveway along the highway. The longtime ranching family has given the group permission to use their pump and the verge is mowed by volunteers from the group. Whear said that task mostly falls to Koropchak.

The line of trees was extended a mile south to Genoa Lane. That means there are 226 trees that will benefit from the new line.

The donation by Western Nevada Supply is estimated to be worth more than $2,600.