Free Tree Program Nixed By NJ Officials In 2024: Here’s Why

NEW JERSEY - Two annual tree reforestation programs helmed by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection — including a free seedling program for young residents — won’t be offered in 2024 due to inventory issues, Patch has learned.

The affected Tree Seedling Catalog and 3rd Grade Free Tree programs distribute hundreds of thousands of seedlings annually via the New Jersey Forest Service Nursery in Jackson (Monmouth County), state officials said. But “unforeseen circumstances,” including poor weather conditions, groundhogs and technical issues with a new greenhouse “all negatively impacted the success of seedlings” this year, a NJDEP spokesperson told Patch.

The catalog program distributes over 300,000 seedlings per year for public and private landowners to purchase for conservation projects, according to the state website. Seedlings are also typically available for free through the latter program, as every third grader in the Garden State is entitled to a free seedling when requested by a teacher or class representative.

But 2024 hasn’t been a typical year, the NJDEP told Patch.

While the greenhouse technical issues have since been resolved and a new supervising forester has been hired to manage seedling production, the myriad issues proved too much to overcome for a 2024 tree distribution deadline, officials said.

“Forest Service Nursery staff are working hard to ensure there is a healthy inventory of seedlings to distribute in 2025,” the spokesperson said, adding the agency hopes to have additional trees available in 2025 to fulfill the programs suspended this year.

The national Community Tree Recovery Program, run by the Arbor Day Foundation in partnership with the New Jersey Forest Service, is not affected by the production issues, nor is the annual Tree Recovery Campaign, which doles out free trees each April to eligible municipalities with tree canopies affected by damage incurred during Superstorm Sandy.

More than 500,000 trees have been distributed around New Jersey through the program to date. To see participating Tree Recovery Campaign municipalities, click here.

-With reporting by Michelle Rotuno-Johnson.