First phase of arboretum improvement project will include paved pathways, new plantings and fence replacement.

But tree planting takes workers — a lot of workers. Luckily, the nation was teeming with restless young people like Rust, back-to-the-landers looking to escape urban centers.

Non-logging forestry work, like planting trees or fuels reduction, is big business in Oregon. But if you’re picturing those doing this work as classic lumberjacks — plaid shirts, big beards ...

It is a crucial investment for the urban forestry sector, which contributes more than $60 billion annually to our economy and employs more than 300,000 workers.