Washington, D.C. (September 20, 2016) — The champions have been crowned! American Forests is proud to present the 2016 Champion Trees National Register, listing the largest and most impressive trees of their kind. This year, big tree hunters from across the country found 64 new champions to add to the list of America’s giants.
With more than 750 species represented overall, the Champion Tree Register, sponsored by The Davey Tree Expert Company, has been in the making since 1940, compiling America’s largest trees and inspiring the preservation of these iconic living monuments. Old, large trees are essential to sustaining a healthy forest ecosystem, and those that are still standing are often hidden deep within wilderness or out of the public’s eye on private property. The National Register is a way to find and celebrate these remaining giants, and this year’s big tree enthusiasts were especially successful in doing so!
True to historic trends, many of 2016’s new winners are from the Pacific Northwest, with Oregon having the most new winners at 14, while Texas and Montana tied for second with nine new champions each. This year’s nominators found seven massive oaks, one of which had the widest crown of all the entries at 110 feet. Six impressive pines were also submitted and included the tallest competitor of all, a sugar pine that stretches 241 feet into the sky.
Scoring the most points of any entry, a huge Coast Douglas-fir from Oregon captured an astounding 792 points overall, putting it 10th in the ranking of largest all time champions! It also proved to be the girthiest entry, at an astonishing 444 inches in circumference.
Without further ado, see all the details, measurements and pictures of the biggest trees in America in the 2016 Champion Trees National Register.
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ABOUT AMERICAN FORESTS
American Forests restores and protects urban and rural forests. Founded in 1875, the first national nonprofit conservation organization in the country has served as a catalyst for many key milestones in the conservation movement, including the founding of the U.S. Forest Service, the national forest and national park systems as well as leading literally thousands of forest ecosystem restoration projects and public education efforts. Working in forests in all 50 states and in 45 countries, American Forests planted its 50 millionth tree last year. The impact has resulted in cleaner air and drinking water, restored habitat for wildlife and fish, and the removal of millions of tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Learn more at americanforests.org.
ABOUT THE DAVEY TREE EXPERT COMPANY
The Davey Tree Expert Company is the premiere sponsor of the National Register of Big Trees and has U.S. and Canadian operations in more than 47 states and five provinces. Davey provides a variety of tree care, grounds maintenance and consulting services for the residential, utility, commercial, and government markets. Founded in 1880, Davey has been employee owned for 35 years and has more than 7,300 employees who provide Proven Solutions for a Growing World. For more information, visit www.davey.com.
MEDIA CONTACT
Lea Sloan | Vice President of Communications | 202.370.4509 (direct) | lsloan@americanforests.org