Phoenix Pioneer Cemetery receives over $13K to remove hazardous trees

PHOENIX, Ore. – The Phoenix Pioneer Cemetery is set to receive a total of $13,645 for Hazardous Tree Removal.

$8,000 is coming through a grant from the Oregon Commission on Historic Cemeteries (OCHC) in conjunction with the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. The other $5,645 is through matching funds from both donations and volunteers.

Due to the condition of the trees, the process of removing them is delicate considering many of the headstones are over 100 years old, some of which are for the founding fathers of the City of Phoenix.

According to the cemetery’s Grant Coordinator, Bryce Blankenship the goal is to preserve history. In a press release, he wrote “the Phoenix Pioneer Cemetery is a gem filled with rich history. For example, Marion B. Towne, who was the first woman elected to the Oregon Legislature in 1914 is buried right next to a hazard tree.”

There are 12 trees that are slated for removal under this project.