Hello Neighbors,
At the fall 2022 meeting of the Sumner Citizens Association, a number of concerns were expressed about the health of the trees in our neighborhood. The SCA board has taken these concerns seriously and have already taken some steps to address them.
Individual homeowners, the County and the State have responsibility for trees in different locations in our neighborhood, with the County having responsibility for trees growing in street rights-of-way, except for trees abutting Massachusetts Avenue, which are the responsibility of the State of Maryland. Trees on private property outside of rights-of-way are the responsibility of homeowners.
The Department of Tree Maintenance of Montgomery County provides a service called a ‘tree print’, which involves arborists inspecting the health and status of all trees on county rights-of-way in a given neighborhood. The SCA has requested such a review of our neighborhood and we expect the inspection sometime in the next two or three months. As soon as we know the timing for the inspection process, we will let you know on the SCA website, on the Google Group and any other channels available.
As the inspection takes place, arborists will place red dots on trees that may need to be removed. If a citizen disagrees with the assessment, they can contact the tree maintenance department to get a separate opinion from a different arborist. We will provide that contact information on the SCA website when the time comes. Instead of removal, pruning may be all that is required.
Any resident concerned about a specific individual tree on the County right of way, can make an individual inspection request online. Requests made through this website will take place earlier than the full tree print, when circumstances warrant one.
One comfort is that the tree maintenance department are champions for a robust, diverse tree canopy and do not like dropping trees. They balance safety concerns and the age and health of individual trees with the strong desire to retain as many trees as possible. This makes sense as it takes so long for mature trees to gain their tall heights and provide their cooling shade and pleasing presentation.
We are hopeful that this inspection will result in safety improvements so we avoid any near misses or impacts of tree limbs or trees on people, cars or property in the future. Our neighborhood was established more than 70 years ago and many of our trees are showing their age and fragility. The good news is that if a tree has to be taken down, the county will work with the nearest homeowner to select an appropriate and desirable tree to replace the one taken down as described above.
As a side note, any county resident may request to plant a street tree and may do so online. When we rebuilt our house in the neighborhood, I worked with the tree department to select just the tree we thought would work best in the right of way in front of our home. They were super cooperative and talked us through the advantages and disadvantages of several species and sizes of tree. I understand the same process of dialog with residents is in place for requesting trees for planting in rights of way.
For individual property owners who are concerned about trees on their property, we are gathering a list of local arborists and asking them if they will provide a discount on their service for residents of our neighborhood. When the list is finalized, we will post it online and make it known in the newsletter. Having an arborist inspect the trees on your property is not only a good idea every so often, but can inform you about the specific species of trees you have on your property and provide you tips and tricks for their care and maintenance as well as suggestions for new plantings to invest in our tree canopy and the long-term beauty and comfort of your property.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to send us an email. The SCA is here for you and all of us welcome your thoughts and ideas.
Sincerely,
Kevin B. Marvel, Vice President SCA.
