Edmond Sensitive Areas Project
www.edmondok.comThe City of Edmond, Oklahoma commissioned Cross Timbers Forestry to conduct a study of its oldest forests and groves. The goal was to identify areas of old or significant trees and forests that would receive special notice by city government.
Using multiple maps and eye-witness accounts dating from the 1870’s along with ground reckoning and an advanced geographic information system (GIS), Cross Timbers was able to identify groves of trees that were potentially more than 130 years old, dating from before Oklahoma statehood. More than seventy square miles of the community and its forests were mapped. The identified trees and groves, called potential presettlement remnants, are now viewed as community assets and are not only given weighted value for landscaping requirements but are protected by city ordinance.