MOSCOW, ID — A powerful windstorm swept through the region Wednesday, toppling and damaging several historic trees on the University of Idaho’s Moscow campus, including trees planted by former U.S. presidents more than a century ago.
University officials said at least 15 trees were knocked down across campus during the storm, with additional trees expected to be removed due to unstable root systems that could pose future safety risks. Damage assessments were still underway Wednesday afternoon.
Among the most significant losses were trees located in the Presidential Grove near the Administration Building. The grove includes trees planted by notable national figures, including former President Theodore Roosevelt and former President William Howard Taft.
A Colorado blue spruce planted by Roosevelt in April 1911 sustained damage during the storm. Roosevelt planted the tree shortly after leaving office and was instrumental in shaping early natural resource policy in the United States, including founding the U.S. Forest Service. A Port Orford cedar planted later that same year by Taft was also severely damaged.
Other historic trees in the grove were spared. A red oak planted by President Woodrow Wilson in 1918 and a Douglas fir planted by Eleanor Roosevelt during her 1938 visit to campus were not damaged, according to the university .
University of Idaho President Scott Green described the damage as a significant loss for the campus and the community, noting the role the trees have played in shaping the character of the university for generations .
The university said seedlings from the Pitkin Forest Nursery are available to replace trees lost in the storm. The nursery also offers seedlings to the public.
Photos documenting the damage were provided by the University of Idaho.
