Weston Planning Board unanimously endorses first public tree management plan

WESTON — September 20, 2023 — Weston Planning Board unanimously endorsed the town's first-ever public tree management plan, forwarding it to the Select Board for a presentation expected as early as the following week. The 5-0 vote came after a presentation by Chris Pfeiffer, Director of Urban Forestry Consulting Services at Planet Geo, who told the board that only 20 percent of Weston's more than 15,000 public street trees are in good condition — compared to a 60 percent regional average — and that 66 percent are in fair condition or worse. The five-year plan, priced at $1.35 million in 2023 dollars, calls for removing 50 high-risk trees in year one, rejuvenating roughly 70 trees annually, and replanting at 28 sites using a curated list of 79 native species; annual costs scale from $124,000 to $312,000. Chair Leslie Glynn noted that Weston's current $100,000 tree budget is almost entirely consumed by reactive storm cleanup. Board Member Adrienne Giske pushed for the cost summary to be reframed as "green infrastructure investment" ahead of the Select Board presentation, with the town's budget cycle set to begin informally in October.