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Effort to replace dead and unhealthy trees at Flight 93 memorial expected to take decades

Flight 93 National Memorial Chief of Interpretation and Education Adam Shaffer, left, talks with Friends of Flight 93 National Memorial Executive Director Donna Gibson near the Allée Trail amid the 40 Memorial Groves at the national park near Shanksville, Pa., on Thursday, March 20, 2025. The Tribune-Democrat via AP

SHANKSVILLE, Somerset County — Officials say it will take decades to replace and revitalize trees at the national memorial in Western Pennsylvania to the crew and passengers who died there when a hijacked airplane crashed on Sept. 11, 2001.

About 700 dead or unhealthy trees were removed nearly a year ago and work has begun to add topsoil and plan for what is expected to be a lengthy effort to rehabilitate the trees in 40 memorial groves and along a central walkway.

The crescent of groves at the Flight 93 National Memorial commemorate the 40 passengers and crew killed when they acted to force down their airplane hijacked by al-Qaida terrorists before it could be used as a weapon against Washington, D.C. Passengers in the flight from New Jersey to California memorably declared “let’s roll” before moving against the hijackers.

Landscape architect James Mealey said Thursday it may take 40 years before visitors see the fully mature trees, according to the Tribune-Democrat of Johnstown.

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