2005 National Arbor Day AwardsLady Bird Johnson AwardInterstate MAX Yellow Line, Portland, OregonIn May of 2004, Portland, Oregon's TriMet light rail system finished a four-year project extending the rail service 5.8 miles. The $350 million project committed itself to making the new stretch one of the greenest in the nation. By the time work was completed, more than 20,000 trees and shrubs had been planted and properly cared for to ensure their survivability. TriMet also expanded an existing wetland area that was adjacent to the Portland International Raceway and worked with local neighborhood associations to relocate 35 trees that would have been in danger due to the construction. Texas Department of Transportation, Houston, TexasThe Texas Department of Transportation went to great lengths to beautify Houston, which served as host of the 2004 National Football League's Super Bowl and Major League Baseball's All-Star Game. Having only 120 days to complete four major beautification efforts, the project involved planting nearly 30,000 native oak, pine, elm, sweetgum, baldcypress, ash, laurel, and palm trees. The plantings were carried out along 32 miles of corridor highways leading into Reliant Stadium and the Astro's new ballpark.
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