FAIRBURY, Neb. — The Fairbury Cemetery will soon see a major boost to its tree canopy, thanks to a grant from the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum. The city was selected as one of 13 communities moving forward with new tree-planting projects in the second quarter of 2025, as part of a statewide effort to revitalize and preserve Nebraska’s urban forests.

The grant - acquired as part of the $10 million the state of Nebraska was awarded through the federal Build Back Better initiative - will fund the planting of 50 trees in the cemetery over the next two years, with planting expected to begin as early as fall 2025 or spring 2026. Staff from the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum (NSA) will assist the City of Fairbury with tree selection, project planning, and maintenance strategies.

“Community forests are a valuable and cherished part of every town,” said John Woodworth, Assistant Conservation Forester with the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum and Nebraska Forest Service. “Unfortunately, many of Nebraska's community forests are in decline. This grant allows us to strategically replant with quality, diverse trees that will strengthen the landscape for years to come.”

Charley Endorf, who serves on both the Fairbury city council and the cemetery board, said trees are critical pieces of every cemetery, and this money will help this cemetery incorporate new trees that will provide the premises with beauty and shade - while also funding the removal of old, dead trees that don't provide either.

"A cemetery has to have trees, and we have a lot of old trees out there, so we’re in the process of changing that," Endorf said. "The old trees are dead, they need to be taken down, and we don’t have the ability to do that ourselves. So we needed someone with insurance to come in and take down those big, oak trees without damaging stones as they come down. And in the meantime, you take out trees like that you gotta plant new ones too, so with the new addition down there we need those new trees on the south side."

Endorf credited Bob Hose, the administrator of this project who is a longtime friend and supporter of the cemetery, for helping make this partnership happen. 

"He’s put a tremendous amount of work getting this grant to work out for us. The work that man has done for our cemetery is just unbelievable," Endorf said of Hose, who now lives in York but still frequently contributes to the Fairbury cemetery. "He’s been a star shining for our cemetery, and he doesn’t even live here."

The Fairbury project follows on the heels of a previous NSA grant, which removed 24 dead or hazardous trees and added 74 tall shade trees across the city’s two largest parks. As with that effort, the cemetery project will prioritize native or well-adapted tall shade trees that offer the greatest benefits—such as wind reduction, cooling shade, habitat for wildlife, and watershed protection.

The NSA’s community forestry grant program also aims to improve green stormwater infrastructure, protect urban watersheds, and promote workforce development by creating pathways into the tree care industry.

“We’re excited to partner with Fairbury again and help ensure that future generations inherit a healthy, diverse, and resilient tree canopy,” Woodworth added.

In addition, the cemetery completed the second phase of its project to renovate the roads throughout the property at the end of last year, and is still seeking contributions to help fund the final phase of the operation - Endorf said that planting some of these new trees around the new roads will be a perfect way to say thank you to those who have made the projects possible to this point.

More information on the NSA’s Urban Community Forestry Grants can be found at plantnebraska.org.