BROOKHAVEN — Mississippi will celebrate Arbor Day a couple of months earlier than the rest of the country. Governor Tate Reeves proclaimed February 9 as Arbor Day and the week of February 9 to February 15 as tree planting week. 

The Mississippi Forestry Commission said the late winter can be a great time to plant trees because it forces young trees to invest in building root systems. Arbor Day has been celebrated in Mississippi since 1926. A decade after the first Arbor Day in Mississippi the Homochitto National Forest was established in 1936 by the Civilian Conservation Corps. 

Lincoln County Civic Center will host a tree sale event by the Natural Resource Conservation Service on February 22 according to the center’s calendar. The trees sold at this event are usually fruit trees while loblolly pine saplings are free.

This year’s Arbor Day follows a challenging drought in Mississippi which could continue to negatively impact trees. Recently, Brookhaven announced the park by Lipsey Middle School would be closed Monday due to the need to remove dead trees.

Pine trees stressed by the drought have fallen subject to beetle attacks which are killing pine trees. Loblolly, Shortleaf, Slash and Longleaf pines are all threatened by beetles. 

People may need to replant trees in stands affected by beetles.