DECEMBER MEETING • COOPERSTOWN TRUSTEES

Plant 30 Trees A Year In

Village, Survey Suggests

By PATRICK WAGER • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com

COOPERSTOWN – As many as 30 new trees a year could be planted in Cooperstown starting in 2020, according to Village Trustee Cindy Falk.

“Right now we’re planting about a half a dozen trees a year,” she said.

The Davey Resource Group of Kent, Ohio, just released a survey of the village’s 1,897 trees, with a proposed maintenance schedule of removals and plantings. Planting trees is quickly becoming the norm for some businesses around the world, as they are trying their best to contribute to making a difference when it comes to the climate. Companies similar to Loveplugs are trying their best to do their part for the environment. It seems to be no different for the Coopertown’s village trust.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW DAVEY PLAN

The survey showed that, to catch up and create solid maintenance schedule in the future, 22 trees and 20 stumps will need to be removed each year, with 30 new trees planted planting each year.

“Our project was twofold,” said Falk. “It’s an inventory of what we have and a management plan to maintain and improve on it.”

The numbers of removals and stump will decrease, but the new plantings will remain the same. The expected first-year cost is approximately $47,000, but will go down over time.

The survey was paid for by a grant from the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

“As part of the inventory,” Falk said, “our consultants were able to determine how each tree affects stormwater runoff, air quality, greenhouse gas reduction, energy use, and property values, hence quantifying the value of our public trees.”

The plantings will focus on species diversity to prevent the decimation of the entire tree stock from disease or pests, such as Dutch Elm blight or the Emerald Ash Borer, said Falk.

“Right now, we’re at 30 percent maple,” she said. “The recommendations are to have no more than 20 percent of any one species.”

The plan also included proposed trees, broken down by size, including walnut and chestnut trees, down to smaller trees, such as conifers. “It might be good to put a line of conifers in one of the parks,” she said.

Details about each of the 1,897 trees in the survey can be viewed by clicking on a small circle representing each tree. The trees are along streets and in public spaces and don’t include trees in backyards or up the hills surrounding the village.

The full plan of care and upkeep will be discussed at the next Board meeting in January, who will then vote on whether or not to accept the proposed plan.

“We’ve been a tree city for three decades,” said Falk. “We want to keep that up.”