The Conservation Commission last week sent a letter to First Selectman Matt Riiska objecting to the removal of about 200 trees along Winchester Road, which is classified as a scenic highway.
“Yes, it’s a scenic road,” said Riiska this week, “but cutting trees is part of maintenance. We did cut trees, but 95 percent of them were dead and posed safety issues for people. Others were in the way of a big tree that had to come down.”
He said the trees were “not just randomly cut,” and that the arborist hired by the town had selected which trees were to be removed.
Towns throughout the region have been forced to increase their budgets for tree removal in the past decade to deal with the dieback of ash, maple and beech trees. Ash trees have been virtually annihilated by the emerald ash borer, while beech trees are being killed by Beech Leaf Disease, which has rapidly spread across the state since 2019. Several factors are contributing to the decline and death of maple trees in Connecticut, including diseases, insect infestations and environmental stressors.
“We have three large maples on Lovers Lane that will have to be removed,” Riiska said, adding that his crew is cutting trees on that road work prior to roadwork being done. “We have a lot of older maples that are just shot, dead ash, and beech trees that are kind of hanging on.”
He is trying to encourage Eversource to remove a string of dead maples on Mountain Road before a storm brings them down across power lines. “The town crew and the people we hire can’t go near power lines,” he explained.
The scenic road ordinance calls for the preservation of overhanging trees. “But that can pose a problem,” he said. “People don’t get that—a couple of good storms and they are lying in the road. I enjoy nature, but beauty is one thing and safety is another.”