More information on the need to re-plant urban trees:
www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-news-connecticut-tree-planting-20190411-oevpg6djpzfd3b2pa54l2wokky-story.html
Background on the Need for a Tree Assessment and Plan
by David Leff, Town Historian
The Need
In 2018, eight large street trees (all sugar maples) on both public and private property within a five minute walk of Canton Town Hall were cut down. All were removed for good reasons. Some caused sidewalk buckling, others were dead or dying and posed a hazard. No new trees were planted. This is a trend that dates back over three decades. During this time tens of trees have been removed in downtown Collinsville and adjacent areas and only a few planted. While the streetscape does not look radically different yet, if this trend continues, Collinsville will lose a lot of its attractiveness to residents and visitors. Mature trees increase property values, reduce energy consumption, provide habitat for birds and other animals, and have other values.
Historical Context
In the 1840s, Samuel Collins oversaw the planting of elm trees to beautify his ideal industrial village. These trees became important to a sense of pride and livability in Collinsville. The 1926 Collins Company centennial book lauded the village for “streets shaded with beautiful trees, with ample spaces, neat and orderly.” Many photographs of late nineteenth and early twentieth century Collinsville show streets lined with stately trees. Dutch elm disease and other factors caused demise of the elms in the mid twentieth century. As early as 1936, Collins employee M. Stanley Neal lamented the loss of the large elm in front of his home at 4 The Green, according to a newspaper report. To this day, one of the last Collinsville elms still shades 9 High Street. As the elms came down, our predecessors in the mid twentieth century had the foresight to plant new trees, often sugar maples. About eight years ago, a rudimentary tree inventory was performed as an Eagle Scout project by a Scout in Collinsville Troop 77.
Action So Far
Noting the historical importance of trees in Collinsville and the recent removals, I organized a meeting with town tree warden Tom Richardson and Chris Donnelly, urban forester for the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP). Afterward, we exchanged many emails, some with representatives of the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. It was agreed that before any new trees could be responsibly planted, a plan was needed to assess current conditions and make recommendations for planting the right tree in the right place.
Current Proposal
Under the current proposal, a graduate student in the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies would create an inventory and plan for Collinsville's trees. The Town of Canton will pay half the cost, $3,000, while the remaining cost will be raised privately.
Project Specifics
The public trees within the Village of Collinsville are very much in need of assessment, care and, in many cases, replacement. It is an older urban forest suffering many of the same stresses urban forests throughout New England are suffering from. The person selected for this internship will work closely with Canton’s Tree Warden and be expected to:
Area Covered
The area covered would be about two square miles. It would include downtown Collinsville from the Avon and Burlington town lines including Dunne Avenue and Collins Road on the west side of the Farmington River and including an area on the east side as far north as Simonds Avenue and easterly as far as the intersection of Simonds and Gildersleeve Avenues. This boundary is approximate and subject to change.
Benefits to the Town of Canton
This project will provide valuable information to the Town of Canton at minimal cost. It will identify hazard trees that could be a liability problem. It will ensure that the right trees are planted in the right places, accounting for overhead wires, sidewalks and other infrastructure, and salt and root compaction issues. This will ensure that investment in new trees will be cost effective.
Once the project is completed, trees can be planted over a period of many years depending on funding. Money may be available from DEEP, local garden and service clubs that have expressed an interest in green infrastructure, and through grants from other private and public sources. The project will help maintain the beauty of Collinsville ensuring it will continue as an attractive place to live and work and raise a family. Tree planting will support property values and provide environmental and energy conservation values.
www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-news-connecticut-tree-planting-20190411-oevpg6djpzfd3b2pa54l2wokky-story.html
Background on the Need for a Tree Assessment and Plan
by David Leff, Town Historian
The Need
In 2018, eight large street trees (all sugar maples) on both public and private property within a five minute walk of Canton Town Hall were cut down. All were removed for good reasons. Some caused sidewalk buckling, others were dead or dying and posed a hazard. No new trees were planted. This is a trend that dates back over three decades. During this time tens of trees have been removed in downtown Collinsville and adjacent areas and only a few planted. While the streetscape does not look radically different yet, if this trend continues, Collinsville will lose a lot of its attractiveness to residents and visitors. Mature trees increase property values, reduce energy consumption, provide habitat for birds and other animals, and have other values.
Historical Context
In the 1840s, Samuel Collins oversaw the planting of elm trees to beautify his ideal industrial village. These trees became important to a sense of pride and livability in Collinsville. The 1926 Collins Company centennial book lauded the village for “streets shaded with beautiful trees, with ample spaces, neat and orderly.” Many photographs of late nineteenth and early twentieth century Collinsville show streets lined with stately trees. Dutch elm disease and other factors caused demise of the elms in the mid twentieth century. As early as 1936, Collins employee M. Stanley Neal lamented the loss of the large elm in front of his home at 4 The Green, according to a newspaper report. To this day, one of the last Collinsville elms still shades 9 High Street. As the elms came down, our predecessors in the mid twentieth century had the foresight to plant new trees, often sugar maples. About eight years ago, a rudimentary tree inventory was performed as an Eagle Scout project by a Scout in Collinsville Troop 77.
Action So Far
Noting the historical importance of trees in Collinsville and the recent removals, I organized a meeting with town tree warden Tom Richardson and Chris Donnelly, urban forester for the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP). Afterward, we exchanged many emails, some with representatives of the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. It was agreed that before any new trees could be responsibly planted, a plan was needed to assess current conditions and make recommendations for planting the right tree in the right place.
Current Proposal
Under the current proposal, a graduate student in the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies would create an inventory and plan for Collinsville's trees. The Town of Canton will pay half the cost, $3,000, while the remaining cost will be raised privately.
Project Specifics
The public trees within the Village of Collinsville are very much in need of assessment, care and, in many cases, replacement. It is an older urban forest suffering many of the same stresses urban forests throughout New England are suffering from. The person selected for this internship will work closely with Canton’s Tree Warden and be expected to:
- Conduct an overall assessment of the conditions within Collinsville as relates to the village’s street trees and urban forest. This assessment will include such general conditions as the presence of overhead wires, general opportunities for planting and growth of trees (e.g., the use of tree pits and lawns for tree planting), and other factors that relate the current and future urban forest.
- Design and conduct an inventory of existing public trees, including street trees. At a minimum, this inventory will include a listing of each tree by species, dbh, condition and location. Preferably, these trees will be geo-referenced for inclusion into a geographic information system.
- Working with the Tree Warden, after taking note of currently vacant tree planting sites as well as the location of those trees that should be removed, now or in the near-term, make recommendations as to where new trees should be planted. These recommendations should include suggestions as to what species would be appropriate for planting in the village, and what size or type of tree might be best at each site.
- Summarize the above information in a report that can be delivered to the public officials within the Town of Canton. It is likely that the Town will also request a public presentation of these findings.
Area Covered
The area covered would be about two square miles. It would include downtown Collinsville from the Avon and Burlington town lines including Dunne Avenue and Collins Road on the west side of the Farmington River and including an area on the east side as far north as Simonds Avenue and easterly as far as the intersection of Simonds and Gildersleeve Avenues. This boundary is approximate and subject to change.
Benefits to the Town of Canton
This project will provide valuable information to the Town of Canton at minimal cost. It will identify hazard trees that could be a liability problem. It will ensure that the right trees are planted in the right places, accounting for overhead wires, sidewalks and other infrastructure, and salt and root compaction issues. This will ensure that investment in new trees will be cost effective.
Once the project is completed, trees can be planted over a period of many years depending on funding. Money may be available from DEEP, local garden and service clubs that have expressed an interest in green infrastructure, and through grants from other private and public sources. The project will help maintain the beauty of Collinsville ensuring it will continue as an attractive place to live and work and raise a family. Tree planting will support property values and provide environmental and energy conservation values.
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Vote YES.
By developing a plan for preserving and replacing Collinsville's street trees, we can protect the town against liability while maintaining the beauty and livability of our community.
