PROJECT DOCKSIDE PARK - ADVOCATING FOR REPLACEMENT TREES
MARCH 2022 We are saddened to share the news from NYS Parks that five shade trees--four Norway Maples and one Black Locust--in Dockside Park must be removed this March due to their stage of decline presenting unsafe conditions. Dockside Park is a NYS Parks property and these trees are not village-owned trees, but the village was kindly consulted and is in agreement with NYS Parks decision. These trees were examined by multiple professionals and they were evaluated by NYS Parks' ISA certified arborist who recommended the removals. The Village of Cold Spring's Tree Advisory Board subsequently had our own ISA certified arborist look at four of the trees in question and all were in agreement that they were each in various stages of decline and because of multiple severe areas of rot and structural decay needed to be removed to protect public safety. As anyone who has enjoyed the shade of these trees on a hot Hudson Valley summer day understands, this loss of canopy in the center of the park will be sorely missed by our community. The Tree Advisory Board is glad to report that in a planning meeting we attended about these trees we had a positive discussion with the park management team about potential plans to plant stronger and longer-lived replacement trees in the same general area to offset the loss of canopy and caliper inches from these removals. We are doing our best to continue to advocate for replacement trees and will post an update once NYS Parks selects the replacement species and puts a planting plan is in place. In the meantime, we are glad to be reminded that the shoreline of the park is slated to benefit this fall from the addition of 6 Red Maples, 6 River Birch and a cluster of 15 smaller Staghorn sumacs as part of the Hudson Highlands State Park Preserve Sustainable Shoreline Project. We look forward to reporting back on the replacement decisions made by NYS Parks for the center grove! Questions or comments? Please contact the village clerk (845) 265-3611 or email the Tree Advisory Board at [email protected]. |
The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second best time is now. |