The Urban Forest

“I think that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree.”
These words by American poet Joyce Kilmer capture the love most people share for trees. This sentiment may be especially appropriate in urban areas where trees are particularly noticeable and play critical roles in the quality of life. Trees are also major capital assets in our cities and towns – as much an integral part of the scene as streets, sidewalks, and buildings – they represent a major component of the “green infrastructure.”
    Beyond aesthetics and emotional well-being, trees perform important functions that protect and enhance city dwellers’ health and property. Trees literally clean the air by absorbing air pollutants and releasing oxygen. They reduce storm water run-off and erosion, they temper climate, they can save energy, they create wildlife habitat, they can improve health, serve as screens, and strengthen the community. They can even help contribute to a community’s economy and way of life.
The trees on Main Street in Presque Isle have added much to the aesthetics of our own downtown for many years. The shade from them helps keep our Main Street cooler. And they provide habitat for wildlife as many birds nest there. At the same time, the trees provide us with oxygen that helps us to breathe, at the same time using up the carbon dioxide that is harmful to us.
The first trees planted on Main Street many years ago were elm trees. Elms were very attractive and provided much shade in the summer. Their roots eventually grew together and formed one massive root system, so that when Dutch elm disease struck, it wiped out nearly all of them.
Most of the trees currently on Main Street are Norway maples. They were planted in 1983-84 and were thought at the time to be the best trees for a downtown location. It has been discovered more recently, however, that they are not as urban tolerant as originally thought. Moreover, they are not zoned for the climate in this area.
According to Randy Martin of The King’s Gardener in Presque Isle, the life expectancy of these trees is only about 20-25 years because of the salt, the extremes in temperature of the sidewalk throughout the year, and everyday wear and tear.
Martin has worked closely with the city, especially during the past several years, to better manage the city’s urban forest in the downtown area on behalf of the city. As part of this effort, he performs a visual walk through of the downtown area with the city manager each year. This annual inspection and annual tree maintenance is strengthened by the support of the Downtown Revitalization Committee’s recent efforts to promote and improve the downtown area. While the annual inspection did not indicate that significant tree trimming is needed this year, it did highlight the need to fertilize the trees and replace several older trees.
Therefore, six trees on Main Street will be replaced this summer. In the future, trees will be replaced on a rotating basis. But don’t expect to see larger, full elm trees or gorgeous maples. The new trees will be smaller and of different varieties. When the maples were originally planted, they were planted near the traffic lights and obstructed the lights. Approximately six feet had to be cut from the tops of the trees in order for the traffic lights to be visible. This affected their appearance negatively. Therefore, it was decided that shorter trees would be more appropriate.
You will also notice that not all of the trees will be of the same variety. Again, this is being done by design. According to Martin, it is important to vary the types of trees on Main Street to ensure that there will be no repeat of the devastation cause by the earlier epidemic of Dutch elm disease.
Martin states that they will be incorporating more flowering trees, although it is necessary to be very selective. It is important to be careful that the fruits from these trees are very small to prevent people from slipping on them when the fruits fall to the sidewalk. One type of tree to be used will most likely be viburnum, which grows to only about 15 feet in height. Their leaves are silver and white and grow a small, white flower. They will be planted in front of Burrelle’s by the traffic light.
You can get more information or join us by calling Sandy Gauvin (764-0876), Cathy Beaulieu at Wilder’s Jewelry Store (764-0309), or Patty LeBlanc (769-7731), or you can contact us through the information listed below. We meet at the Presque Isle Area Chamber of Commerce on the Houlton Road at 7:30 a.m. on the first and third Thursdays of each month. We invite you to join in our efforts to help our wonderful city.
Please write us with your thoughts and opinions. It’s your city and we need your input. You can write us at: The Presque Isle Downtown Revitalization Committee, 411 Main St., Presque Isle, Maine 04769, or you can e-mail us at pidrc@yahoo.com.
The Presque Isle Downtown Revitalization Committee is
an ad hoc committee of the Presque Isle City Council