The Philomath City Council approved the addition of two individuals to the Heritage Tree Program Committee during its meeting Monday night.
Jake Atkins and Sky Yeager will be a part of the group that is scheduled to meet on March 27 to review Heritage Tree nominations that come in. The committee is currently accepting nominations for Heritage Tree recognition until March 17.
Atkins is a product coordinator who also serves on the city’s Park Advisory Board. Yeager is an information technology consultant at Oregon State University.
In their applications, Atkins wrote, “I have a heart of service and a love for small-town communities” and Yeager wrote, “I have a loving relationship with nature, especially trees.”
The appointments of Atkins and Yeager each carry terms that expire at the end of 2028.
“I will thank Jake and Sky for stepping up and volunteering for the city,” Mayor Christopher McMorran said. “We really appreciate it and we look forward to seeing your contributions to the Heritage Tree program.”
The council approved the appointments on a 4-1 vote (Jessica Andrade, Spencer Irwin, Brent Kaseman, McMorran in favor; Diane Crocker opposed; Teresa Nielson and Richard Saalsaa absent).