For at least the last century, the town green has been marked by the iconic European copper beech tree.
But now, after years of the tree suffering beech leaf disease, the town has made the “difficult decision” to remove the tree, located in the small park adjacent to the First Church in Belmont, Unitarian Universalist.
“The size of the tree and the length of time it’s been present there… when it’s taken down, it’s going to be a huge, huge hole there,” said Molly Aalyson, a member of the Shade Tree Committee. “They will put another tree in, but it’s going to take a long time before a replacement tree gets to the size and stature of that one.”
The target date for removal is mid-March, according to a joint press release from the Shade Tree Committee and the Public Works Department.
According to the release, the town has “diligently monitored and treated” the tree, and Tree Warden Will McPhee has collaborated with several arborists and tree experts on ways to extend the life of the tree.
“It’s been afflicted with a disease that kills them,” Aalyson explained. “The town has been monitoring and treating it for years, but it is still dying, and it’s becoming a hazard because there are dead branches.”
The tree will be replaced with another “high-impact species,” yet to be determined, that will eventually grow to a similar size and character, according to the release.
[A high-impact tree] is “a tree you notice,” said Aalyson.
“It has a glorious spread and it’s not run-of-the-mill,” she said. “People are going to see it and appreciate its glory.”
