AUGUSTA – Governor John E. Baldacci today joined in a celebration to mark the beginning of Arbor Week in Maine. Since 1978, the state has recognized the third full week in May as Arbor Week. This year’s theme is “Take it Outside, in Maine’s cities and towns.”
As part of the celebration, the town of Farmington has been named a Tree City USA community by the Arbor Day Foundation to honor its commitment to community forestry. Farmington is one of 16 Maine municipalities that participate in Tree City USA. Also receiving awards this year are the towns and cities of: Auburn, Augusta, Bangor, Bath, Camden, Hallowell, Hampden, Kennebunkport, Lewiston, Orono, Portland, South Portland, Waterville, Westbrook and Yarmouth. Member communities need to meet the standards for community tree management.
In addition, Farmington is the recipient of a Tree City USA Growth Award for demonstrating progress in its community forestry program in the following activity areas:
Continuing education for tree managers
New partnerships formed
New projects
External funding
The prestigious Growth Award, which Augusta and Bath also received, recognizes environmental improvement and higher levels of tree care in Tree City USA communities.
The Tree City program is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the National Association of State Foresters and the USDA Forest Service.
Farmington has met the four standards to become a Tree City: having a tree board (Farmington Conservation Commission) a tree care ordinance, a comprehensive forestry program and an Arbor Day observance.
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This year, Farmington will celebrate its Arbor Day on Wednesday, May 20 with a garden clean up by Cascade Brook School students at Hippach Field, the Farmington Community Center and at the traffic island park in West Farmington. Students will be weeding, mulching, feeding and pruning from about 9 to 11 a.m. at all three sites.
In addition, the Conservation Commission is challenging the Farmington community to find the biggest trees in town.
The Maine Forest Service has been compiling a list of the largest native and naturalized trees in the state since 1968. To determine if a tree is a champion, measurements are taken and a score is given based on the circumference of the truck, height and average crown spread.
For just how to measure your big tree, go to: http://www.americanforests.org/resources/bigtrees/measure.php
To nominate a big Farmington tree or help with measuring, call Bobbie Hanstein at 207-778-6905.
Maine’s Big Tree Program currently lists 160 trees on the register with five entrants in Franklin County:
Red Pine, Pinus resonsa in Weld, nominated 1988
American Basswood, Tilia Americana in Strong, nominated 1979
Boxelder, Acer negundo in Wilton nominated 1988
Atlantic White Cedar, Chamaecyparis thyoides, in T1R6 WELS, nominated in 1979
Balsam Fir, Abies balsamifera in T4R3 WELS, nominated 1995
For a complete list of big trees in Maine: http://www.maine.gov/doc/mfs/projectcanopy/pages/resource/pubs/pdfs/bigtrees_2009.pdf
