The 2015 Big Tree Contest will feature the largest Black cherry tree in the Eastern Panhandle. The deadline to enter is June 30, 2015 by calling Heather Duncan at the Eastern Panhandle Conservation District office at 304-263-4376, ext. 5 or by e-mail to hishman@epcd.us. The winner will be recognized at the EPCD fall banquet. Delegate Overington will present $500 to the winner, or to a charity of choice and a copy of the poem “Trees” by Joyce Kilmer.

For entry, the tree’s circumference should be measured at a height of 4.5 feet above the ground along with contact information and location of the tree. The local West Virginia Division of Forestry will measure the trees for the official circumference, height and crown spread after all entries have been received. The contest is open to Morgan, Berkeley and Jefferson county residents only.

This contest was started in 1924 by Delegate Overington’s grandfather, Fred W Besley- Maryland’s first state forester and the longest serving state forester for 36 years. The purpose of this contest is to call attention to trees, identifying species and recognizing their importance to the environment.