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Updates from the Vermont Urban & Community Forestry Program
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Municipal Tree Law Resources


The Vermont League of Cities and Towns' Municipal Assistance Center and the Vermont Urban and Community Forestry Program have developed resources to assist municipal officials in navigating their legal roles and responsibilities related to trees and roadside vegetation in light of the 2020 amended Vermont tree warden statutes. Tree wardens, town highway staff, local committees, and governance boards will find the following reference materials extremely valuable as they navigate expanded responsibilities related to tree and urban forest planning and management. Check out the new Tree Law webpage which includes a Tree Law FAQ and access to a recorded Tree Law Overview and Shade Tree Preservation Plan webinar .
Learn more about Municipal Tree Law

Emerald Ash Borer: Map Update


Vermont's EAB Infested Area Map has been updated to provide more specific information on the severity of the individual infestations. This new map still has a 10-mile radius around a known ‘Infested Area’, but it no longer delineates a 5-mile ‘Confirmed Infested Area’ as it did previously. Instead, it shows a gradient of the severity of the infestation within the 10-mile radius. The goal of providing this information is to assist Vermonters in understanding the EAB infestation severity across the state to manage their ash trees in a timely manner. This new map also highlights that there is still a lot of EAB spread to slow. While the Infested Area Map shows that high-risk areas for EAB include many towns, visibly infested trees are still rare in Vermont.

EAB flight season started on June 1st and goes through October 1st. Be sure to follow the Slow the Spread Recommendations and to report any suspect infested trees or insects using the Report It tool on vtinvasives.org.  

LDD Making a Comeback in Vermont

 
Many Vermonters around the state are encountering Lymantria dispar dispar (LDD) - familiarly known as gypsy moth - caterpillars causing defoliation of their trees.  This invasive insect arrived in North America over a century ago and has been expanding its range ever since. LDD can be a significant defoliator (leaf eater) of trees and shrubs, and although they prefer oak trees, high populations will cause them to eat many types of leaves, including maple and pine. LDD caterpillars can create a nuisance for homeowners, from a proliferation of caterpillars climbing homes and trees to falling frass and leaf debris to the sounds of chewing on leaves. Vermont has not seen a large outbreak of gypsy moth since 1991, although it has been present at low levels for decades. Learn more about this current outbreak and what you can do.

Free Trees for Bennington and Newport

 
Earlier this month, VT UCF gave 300 free trees to residents of Bennington and Newport through the Vermont Community Canopy program, a partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation that provides trees and guidance on where to plant them to maximize benefits such as energy conservation, shading, and heating and cooling cost savings. Since this annual program began in 2017, VT UCF has given out 1,566 trees to 955 residents, providing $397,471 of combined energy and community benefits (over 20 years). Check out the full impact report here.

Arbor Month Highlights

 
This year we partnered with the Vermont Department of Libraries to create and distribute 50 Arbor Day Celebration Kits to libraries across the state. Below are some of the wonderful photos sent in from families participating in the tree scavenger hunt. Congratulations to Kay R., Catherine K., Colby & Ava B., and Issac W. for winning the Arbor Day raffle.

Additional Resources

 
 

TREEmail is brought to you by the Vermont Urban & Community Forestry Program, an initiative of the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation in partnership with the University of Vermont Extension. Visit our website, www.vtcommunityforestry.org. TREEmail is made possible in part by the USDA Forest Service, State and Private Forestry.  
 
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