In Shanksville, Pennsylvania, efforts are underway to restore and rejuvenate the trees at a national memorial dedicated to the passengers and crew who perished there on September 11, 2001, following the crash of a hijacked plane. Authorities acknowledge that it could take decades to see the trees fully reestablished at the site.
Nearly a year ago, approximately 700 dead or unhealthy trees were removed, and the initial steps have been taken to incorporate topsoil as part of an extensive plan to rehabilitate the landscape. This comprehensive undertaking will eventually cover 40 memorial groves and the central walkway at the Flight 93 National Memorial.
The crescent-shaped groves symbolize the 40 individuals who bravely acted to bring down the hijacked aircraft, thwarting the terrorists’ plan to use it against Washington, D.C. Despite grim circumstances, the passengers on the New Jersey-to-California flight heroically declared “let’s roll” before confronting the hijackers.
James Mealey, a landscape architect involved in the project, stated that achieving fully mature trees might take 40 years. The Tribune-Democrat of Johnstown reports that Mealey cited several factors contributing to the issues faced, such as the haste in project execution, suboptimal soil quality, ill-suited tree species, poor nursery stock, insufficient irrigation, challenging winters, deer activity, and constrained maintenance resources.
Mealey clarified the timeline, saying, “Obviously, that won’t mean that we’re planting the last trees in 40 years, but that’s sort of how long it takes to establish a landscape of this scale and this complexity.” He also noted that active replanting might occur over the next two decades.
From 2012 to 2016, around 2,000 native deciduous trees were planted, an integral part of the memorial’s landscape design. The first phase of replanting is anticipated to commence next spring, with ongoing fundraising efforts to support the revitalization initiative.
The tragedy of September 11 resulted in nearly 3,000 deaths, with terrorists commandeering four planes. Two aircraft were collided into the World Trade Center in New York, another struck the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, while the fourth, targeted toward Washington, D.C., was heroically intercepted in Pennsylvania.