Tree Warden
What is a Tree Warden?
The Tree Warden is charged with managing shade trees on Town property and within the public right-of-way under Mass. General Law Ch. 87, as well as working with the Tree Committee. On a day-to-day basis, a tree warden manages activities related to, but not limited to:
- Pruning of trees for safety and health
- Removal of trees that are dead or dying
- Identification of planting sites
- Planting new trees
- Writing grant proposals
The Town of Longmeadow's Tree Warden is appointed by the Town Manager and is an employee of the Department of Public Works. To learn more about the duties and responsibilities of a tree warden, please visit Massachusetts Tree Wardens & Foresters Association.
How to Request a Public Tree Hearing
If there is a public tree in front of your property that you feel should be removed, an inspection request should be submitted to the Tree Warden. If the Tree Warden finds that said tree can be removed, it will need to be heard at a public tree hearing unless it meets one of the hearing exemptions under M.G.L. Ch. 87 s. 5. Notice for public tree hearings shall be posted for two consecutive weeks in two locations. The Tree Warden will attach a physical notice to the tree to be heard one week prior the hearing, and will submit a legal advertisement to the local newspaper to be ran a week before and on the day of the hearing. The cost of the legal advertisement will fall responsible to the requestor of the hearing. Objections to the removal of trees on the hearing can be submitted to the Tree Warden by any member of the public up until the start of the hearing.
Tree Inventory Updates
In 2022 the Town was awarded a DCR Urban and Community Forestry Challenge Grant of $20,000 to hire Davey Resource Group to conduct a conditions assessment of our 9,000 street trees. The assessment included a field study to measure and document each street tree's health and physical condition, maintenance needs, and potential risks. The resulting data was incorporated into the Town's existing tree inventory, in addition to developing a prioritized maintenance/management plan for the street tree stock. A management plan was drawn up which identified the highest hazard trees for immediate removal, and also provide a schedule and budget for addressing maintenance needs over a 5-year period.
In 2023, the Town was awarded another DCR Urban and Community Forestry Challenge Grant of $3,800 to expand on the previous inventory efforts and include Town trees on park and school properties. As of October 2023, the field study has been completed and the Town is expecting to receive and incorporate the data into our inventory.