Chester Borough Plants 5 New Trees To Mark Nation's 250th Anniversary

CHESTER BOROUGH, NJ — Chester Borough is marking America's 250th anniversary with the planting of five American elm trees at Grove Street Park, a project led by the borough's Shade Tree Commission.

The five trees represent each 50-year milestone since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The newly planted trees are Princeton elms, a variety bred to resist Dutch elm disease, which devastated American elm populations throughout the 20th century. Once mature, the trees are expected to reach heights of 50 to 60 feet with a canopy spread of 40 to 60 feet.

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The commemorative planting is the latest project by the Chester Borough Shade Tree Commission, which has overseen the care and management of the borough's public trees since it was established in 1985.

Over the decades, the commission has managed trees in borough parks and public rights-of-way while responding to challenges such as the Emerald Ash Borer infestation. During the outbreak, the commission secured additional borough funding to remove dead and dying ash trees and has continued coordinating with Jersey Central Power & Light on trees that may need removal because of conflicts with power lines.

The commission has also overseen the removal of aging and diseased maple trees planted during the 1970s and 1980s, replacing them with a variety of new species throughout the borough.

Recent plantings have included cherry, linden, dogwood and magnolia trees at Grove Street Park, as well as London plane trees at Municipal Field. The commission also replaces trees within residential rights-of-way when property owners request replacements after diseased or dead trees are removed.

The Shade Tree Commission's work has helped Chester Borough earn recognition as a Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation every year since 1985.

Residents wondering whether a tree falls under the commission's care can check whether it is located within a utility or public right-of-way easement, as shown on a property's survey.