Lincoln certainly has a lot of trees, but what condition are they in? Should there be more rules about which ones can be cut down or preserved? The new Tree Preservation Study Group, which is gathering information to help answer these questions, presented some of its initial findings at the January 14 meeting of the Planning Board and an updated version of their State of the Town handout.
The group (which is not an official town board or committee) reported on the results of their recent survey about the town’s trees as well as tree regulations in other towns, findings from the Charles River Watershed Association, and information about diseases currently affecting some species of trees in Lincoln and elsewhere. Based on their ongoing research, they may or may not propose specific regulations for Lincoln.
Group chair Susan Hall Mygatt noted that other towns including Concord, Weston and Lexington have tree bylaws or management plans (see page 9 of this PDF, which also includes detailed results of the survey).
Lincoln does in fact have some rules around trees. According to the Conservation Commission’s Hazard Tree Removal Policy, property owners must get permission from the commission before work including tree or brush removal, lawn expansion, ground disturbance, and construction if the project lies in or within 100 feet of wetland resource areas (defined as wetlands, streams, ponds, and 100-year flood zones) as well as riverfront areas (land within 200 feet of a year-round stream).
Threats to trees from both people and nature
The issue of trees was highlighted recently when a number of mature trees were cut down along roadsides in several locations. A number of old or ailing trees were removed by Eversource because they were seen as a potential threat to power lines in a project that was announced last spring. Those trees were identified in a list from the Department of Public Works, though some were spared after residents asked for specific exceptions during public hearings.
Lincoln Tree Warden Ken Bassett noted that “it’s our call” on which trees are taken down and Eversource is required to demonstrate to the Public Utilities Commission that it’s making efforts to protect services to customers, but the company will “absolutely honor any objection” (though the objector and the town then assume the risk of losing power if the tree in question does in fact fall on a power line, he said.
National Grid was planning to dig a trench alongside part of Codman Road for a gas line repair but was persuaded not to, because it would have fatally damaged the roots of a large tree. Another potential threat to roadside trees is installation of new water mains. Many of them are in need of replacement, work on a segment under Lincoln Road is scheduled to begin this spring.
A bigger issue facing Lincoln’s trees is not road work but natural pests that are killing off trees in Lincoln’s forested areas, particularly the emerald ash borer, “which has clearly made a dramatic impact now in most eastern Massachusetts towns, said Conservation Director Michele Grzenda. Many of the ailing roadside trees targeted by Eversource are ash trees, and the species is listed as “critically endangered” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Another threat is beech leaf disease, which is caused by an invasive nematode. The large beech on Route 117 in Weston next to Dairy Joy fell victim to this disease a year or two ago and had to be cut down.