FARMINGTON – The Farmington Conservation Commission has received a Project Canopy Grant to conduct a street tree inventory along 24 streets downtown and in the Hippach Field area.
As part of this grant, a program of the state’s Maine Forest Service, Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, trees only within the town’s right-of-way will be assessed for defects, health, insect and potential safety issues.
The survey’s information will then be summarized for use by the town and Conservation Commission members as a planning tool for maintenance of the trees, said Patty Cormier, a district forester and a member of the Farmington Conservation Commission. Data will be collected on July 2, 10 and 17, and continue through the summer.
“Don’t be alarmed to see a three- or four-person team with orange safety vests on, looking up at trees,” Cormier said. Trees on private property will not be assessed unless they are a hazard to people or town property.
Each tree assessment team will consist of at least an arborist, a forester, and a Conservation Commission member. Mark Ingrisano of Deep Root Tree and Landscape Service, Inc. will be the arborist on scene. Data collection assistance will also be provided by members of the Spruce Mountain High School Envirothon Team.
The field data collection work is expected to be completed by this fall.
The whole point of completing this grant is to enhance the long-term capability for the town to manage the town’s street trees,” Cormier said and added, “streets trees are an important part of the town for their inherent values, such as temperature control, aesthetics, and storm water drainage control when they are healthy. Without proper planning and maintenance though, they can become a liability.”
The survey’s results will give the town residents an idea of the value of the specific trees and recommendations for managing them. For more information, contact Cormier at 592-2238, or patty.cormeir@maine.gov.
