What Are They?

[Old Michael]

Okay, down I 82 south from the "tri-cities" area in WA, then west on 84. What are these huge groves of some kind of tree to the south side of the freeway. Very tall and leafy and growing thickly. Obviously a crop of some sort. I cant' find anything googling.

 

[PizzaJim]

I'm pretty sure they're poplars. They grow fast and are used for paper products.

 

[AethonFJR]

I concur with Old Michael. Did you note the planted dates and harvest dates???? IF I recall, there is about 4.5 miles of them along I-84, but I have no idea of how far they go south from there. (as far as you can see but I am not sure how far beyond that.)

 

[FJR_pig]

Yep, dems for paper, boys.

 

[slapnpop]

They aren't real poplars though. I looked this up when I moved here, as I saw them too. They are a genetic hybrid the paper company developed.

 

[Bustanut joker]

Ah yes! I was wondering why the price of rolling papers increased... Cost of genetic research for the new paper trees.

Go figger

:jester:

 

[slapnpop]

https://oregonprogress.oregonstate.edu/stor...=oap&cmd=pf

 

[ponyfool]

Wait!? Paper comes from trees? You mean my dad was all wrong, money actually DOES grow from trees!?

 

[Kevin Daly]

Actually, one of the guys in my department uses those as part of his genomics research. Poplars have been sequenced and my understanding is that he is looking at how these engineered trees influence the genetic makeup of wild stands.

Wait!? Paper comes from trees? You mean my dad was all wrong, money actually DOES grow from trees!?

PS... only paper money

 

[LDRydr]

You'll find them in other places around Ore-E-Gun, too. There's some along Hwy 30 between Portland and Astoria. And I seem to remember some along I-5 by Longview/Kelso WA.

 

[Old Michael]

Thanks everyone. This forum is like a freaking encyclopedia - but funnier.

 

[Flylooper]

You'll find them in other places around Ore-E-Gun, too. There's some along Hwy 30 between Portland and Astoria. And I seem to remember some along I-5 by Longview/Kelso WA.

They have a bunch of groves of them down here, too. I wonder if they can screw up the natural poplars' gene pool like genetically engineered corn.

 

[FJR_pig]

You'll find them in other places around Ore-E-Gun, too. There's some along Hwy 30 between Portland and Astoria. And I seem to remember some along I-5 by Longview/Kelso WA.

They have a bunch of groves of them down here, too. I wonder if they can screw up the natural poplars' gene pool like genetically engineered corn.

Holy crap! Flylooper! You're alive! How are ya?

 

[Ignacio]

Ol' Dad has a contract with Boise Cascade to take the stumps and mulch them. There are thousands of acres of them between Tri-Cities and Dayton as well. The stands create their own heat, humidity, and ecosystem where the density is such that they actually grow faster in the stands.

 

[twowheelnut]

They aren't real poplars though. I looked this up when I moved here, as I saw them too. They are a genetic hybrid the paper company developed.

Fake trees? I'd rather see fake ****s.

Wait!? Paper comes from trees? You mean my dad was all wrong, money actually DOES grow from trees!?

Nope. Your dad was right. Greenbacks are made from linen and cotton based paper - 25% of the former and 75% of the latter.

 

[TruWrecks]

Those are indeed hybrid Poplar trees. They seeds can only be activated in a lab. They are missing several key ingredients to germinate in the wild. They grow 5 times faster than regular trees, and help to protect the old growth forests from logging because they grow so fast. The tree huggers keep damaging the hybrid groves and harvesting equipment. The tree huggers are part of the reason the cost of paper is rising quickly.

I'm not a tree hugger, but I have a brother that works for GP, so I have the inside scoop.