What Is the Tree Committee?
The Saugus Tree Committee is a volunteer board with three main goals:
- Maintain the Town Tree Farm.
- Educate people about the importance and benefits of trees.
- Continue an ongoing program of street tree replacement.
Saugus was first declared a "Tree City" by the National Arbor Day
Foundation in 1998, but Saugus has always been known for its trees (in
fact, even the Saugus Town Seal features a tree in the background). By
maintaining the Tree Farm, we can ensure that public trees lost to
disease and injury get replaced at a minimal cost to the Town.
So What Are the Benefits of Trees?
It is in the best interest of everyone in Saugus to preserve the local
trees. Consumer surveys maintain that people stay longer, shop more
often, and purchase more goods in a beautified business area. Homes with
trees are sold for more money than those without, and rental properties
with trees demand higher rates. Plus, trees save on both home heating and
home cooling bills. Trees screening houses from northern winds can reduce
heating expenses by as much as 40%. On the flip side, a healthy quantity
of trees over a large area tends to reduce the "heat island effect"
common in urban areas in the summer. See Why Plant A
Tree? for more reasons.
Who Is on the Tree Committee?
Current members of the Committee include:
- Chairman - Tim Hawkes - 781-233-6428
- Ann Devlin- 781-233-5717
- Al DiNardo-
781-233-6240
- Judy Hoffman- 781-231-2102
- Debra Panetta- 781-233-9720
- Margery Hunter- 781-233-0349
- Laura Eisener- 781-231-5988
What Are Some Related Organizations and Agencies?
There are several agencies and organizations (both official government and private non-profit) with goals related to the Saugus Tree Committee's. Here are a few:
- The Saugus Conservation Commission
- The Saugus Action Volunteers for the Environment
- The Essex County Greenbelt Association
- The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Management
- The Massachusetts Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Environmental Law Enforcement
- The Massachusetts Arborists Association
- The Massachusetts Community Forestry Council
- Northeast Center for Urban & Community Forestry
- United States Forest Service
- National Arborist Association
- Wilderness Society
- United States Forest Stewardship Council
- Sierra Club
- International Society of Arboriculture
Are There Any Other References Online?
There are lots and the number is increasing all the time. Here are a few: