What Can the Tree Committee Do for You?

Perhaps you have never wondered what the Swarthmore Tree Committee can do for you, but please consider the question now. For the past 85 years (more or less), Tree Committee members have been shepherds of our borough street trees, working to nurture and protect our canopy. If you aren’t familiar with us and what we do — either because you are new to Swarthmore or have never yet needed to seriously think about your trees — here is a brief description of our activities and responsibilities. 

Information Resource

Call the Tree Committee when you have questions or concerns about your trees. You can reach us through the borough office (call 610-543-4599 or visit swarthmorepa.org). Our specific mandate is street trees, but we’ll do our best to give advice and suggestions on any tree you have. We can’t take the place of a trained arborist, but we can advise you on care, identification, condition, and safety — or let you know that it would be better to consult an arborist after all. Committee member Charles Cresson is the point person for this service.

Permission to Remove Street Trees

Before a borough homeowner removes any street tree, they must apply for permission to do so and receive approval from the Tree Committee. Sometimes people, especially newcomers, don’t know this, but removing a street tree without permission can (per borough ordinance) result in a fine. 

What Qualifies as a Street Tree? 

Here is a useful rule of thumb: any tree located within 25 feet of the centerline of the street (roughly 12½ feet from the curb) is considered a street tree, even if the tree is on the house side of the sidewalk.

Tree Removal Subsidy

If a tree needs to be removed because it is diseased, damaged, rotted, or declining, a committee member will mark it for removal. Any tree contractor can take down your tree, but most homeowners choose to participate in the borough’s Tree Removal Subsidy program, whereby the homeowner pays 70% of the cost of the removal — including the grinding of the stump, and a replacement tree — and the borough pays 30%. Regardless of who takes down the street tree, homeowners are required to replace it with a new one (although they can choose to place it at a different site along the street).

Tree Sales

To help make tree replacement easier, each spring and fall, the Tree Committee sponsors a sale. Any borough homeowner can purchase a new street tree and have it planted, all at a reasonable cost. For homeowners who have had a tree removed through the borough tree subsidy program, the price of the new tree is included in their fee. They simply need to choose a species for the replacement from the Tree Committee’s list. The ball and burlap (B&B) trees are delivered and planted by a professional landscape crew. Each sale offers trees of various species and sizes to suit different street conditions and sites. Committee members Jeff Jabco and Karol Bock keep these sales on track.

TreeVitalize 

Recently, the Tree Committee has begun to participate in the TreeVitalize program, which is sponsored by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. TreeVitalize makes inexpensive bare-root trees available to local municipalities to be planted as street trees. The committee has tried to focus the planting of these trees on Swarthmore blocks that are in particular need of more street trees. Volunteer crews plant the trees with the aid of the homeowners. So far, 24 new trees have been planted on our streets and in our parks courtesy of TreeVitalize. Committee members Michael Matotek and Catherine King have led these efforts.

Swarthmore Tree Survey

The Tree Committee members are able to see where new trees are needed by looking at the data from our recently completed street tree survey, which pinpointed the species and location of all the street trees and park trees within the borough. The survey shows vacant sites where new trees could be planted. It also allows us to track the condition of trees, determine when recently planted trees are due for pruning, and diversify the tree canopy with a variety of species. Lastly, it  shows both the ecological and economical benefits of our street and borough park trees. Anyone can access this program by visiting swarthmorepa.treekeepersoftware.com and see the trees on their street — or anywhere in Swarthmore. Committee members Karol Bock and Kristin Cardi maintain our database.

Distinguished Tree Program

The Tree Committee is also reinvigorating the Distinguished Tree program, which honors trees throughout our community that deserve recognition because of their size, age, rarity, or other notable characteristics. All trees in Swarthmore (not just street trees) are eligible. We welcome suggestions for candidates (on your property or someone else’s), and we are developing a walking-tour map so people can visit them. The Distinguished Tree project is led by committee member Andrew Bunting.

In our community, tree issues continually arise because trees are such an integral part of our lives. This is a good thing, as the benefits we derive from them are ongoing across the seasons and the years. Our trees help make Swarthmore a desirable place to live and work. 

Keep the Swarthmore Tree Committee in mind the next time you have questions or concerns about your trees. We might have the answers.

David Page is chair of the Swarthmore Tree Committee.