75 Trees Planted In Lower Merion Throughout Fall, Township Says

By LOWER MERION TOWNSHIP for Patch

Lower Merion Township has planted another 75 trees along local roads during the fall of 2015, the Township Shade Tree Commission announced in a press release on the township website.

“Lower Merion Township recognizes the many values that trees provide, and continuously makes investments to maintain existing trees and plant new ones,” the Commission said, in a statement. “The Township is unique in that it hosts a nine-member Shade Tree Commission, including the Township full-time arborist, who works to systematically maintain some 30,000 street trees along 214 miles of roads and an additional 15,000 trees in the Township’s parks.

“As trees die from disease, storm damage, and other events, every year the Township plants 75 to 100 new shade trees that have at least a two-inch caliper (two inches across, or up to four or five inches in diameter, typically), often at individual property owners’ request, to help replenish that loss.”

The Township has been designated a “Tree City USA” by the Arbor Day Foundation almost since the program’s inception in 1976. Such designation requires adherence to four core standards that the Township exceeds: a tree board or department, a tree care ordinance, a community forestry annual budget exceeding $2 per capita, and observance of Arbor Day.

For Arbor Day, Lower Merion rotates special tree planting ceremonies among the School District’s schools, providing an opportunity to engage children in greening their communities. This year’s was held in April at the Cynwyd Elementary School.

This fall’s variety of new trees planted throughout the Township include London Plane,Swamp White Oak, Cherry, Red Maple, European Hornbeam, and Ginkgo. “Lower Merion will continue to be a green community well into the future, as trees play important roles throughout the new Comprehensive Plan that is up for adoption,” the Commission added.