Chester CAC Tree Subcommittee

The Chester Tree Subcommittee is an initiative of the Chester Conservation Advisory Council.

The Advisory Council serves as an advisory body that supports local governing boards, planning boards and zoning boards of appeals to protect and enhance local quality of life, land use decision-making, and conservation focused initiatives.

The Tree Subcommittee is focused, as its name suggests, on the preservation and health of our trees, on both public and private property through the Town and Village. We support, enable, and encourage care of our existing tree and the planting of more.

We do this because trees play a critically important role in both the environmental health of our communities, and in their natural beauty. They cleanse the air of pollutants, keep the ground cooler, provide habitats for countless species of birds, animals, and insects, provide us with oxygen, provide great benefits for recreation, and make our Town and Village more beautiful.

Hence, the mission of the subcommittee is:

• To promote proper care for our existing trees on both public and private land.
• To increase the number of trees in Town and Village on both public and private land, to attain both environmental and aesthetic benefits.
• To educate our community members about trees and their importance, so people understand why trees are important, and how to care for them, and they feel inspired to do so.
• To support the CAC, Town, and Village with regard to any issues or question pertaining to trees.

The Subcommittee meets about six times per year, as our focus is on getting out and working with people and trees, not on holding meetings. As a subcommittee of the CAC, we report our progress and activities to the CAC, and through the CAC, to the Town and Village Boards.

Projects and Initiatives

We have developed a long list of initiatives which we seek to achieve during the coming years.

First Priorities

1. Our first project is to create a Memorial Grove for people who want to remember someone, and for the town to remember people it wishes to honor. We plan to do so at Knapp’s View, on a small portion of the site that will not interfere with other recreational uses or wildlife habitats. Trees may be planted to remember and honor service members, those who have served the town, and individuals could honor family members, etc., and we will keep a focus on native trees.
2. With the support of the Town and Village, we will plant trees on public property in addition to Knapps’ View, such as at Town Hall and Library. This is also a priority, for visibility of the effort and benefit to the Town. Is there a comparable location in the Village where trees should also be planted?
3. We seek grant funding for tree-related projects.
4. We will create a registry of the notable trees in Chester. Notable could refer to age, size, species, historical interest, etc. We will install signs near the notable trees to educate people about them. This will include a focus on native species, and we will prepare a guide accordingly.
5. We will prepare and publicize information on invasive species and how to manage them and reduce their negative impacts, and on protecting our trees and forests from deer.
6. We will advocate for the care and planting trees everywhere at all appropriate venues, including before the Town and Village Boards, at local schools, in the newspapers, and with community groups.
7. Upon request, we will advise CAC land use regarding trees on development sites and other locations as needed.
8. Should it be desired, we will help draft tree ordinances for Chester Town and Village.
9. We will work with the Town and Village Parks Departments regarding care for trees on public property.

Longer Term Goals

10. Over the longer term, we would like to help establish a Town Forest for the benefit of all Town and Village citizens.
11. One day we aspire to create an inventory of all trees in Chester, possibly using satellite photos and AI, to give us more information about the trees we have, and the benefits they provide.