Counting the Trees
Trees on Cunningham Field. Photo: Andy Shelter
A survey of Swarthmore’s street trees, as well as of the trees in the borough’s public parks, will be conducted this year by the Davey Resource Group. At its legislative session on February 10, Swarthmore Borough Council unanimously approved the contract for the work, which will cost $16,820. The inventory will include the location, species, size, and general condition of the trees, as well as whether utility lines are present. This information will allow the borough to plan for and protect the future of its tree canopy. Residents will be able to access the inventory through a web portal.
The borough’s Tree Committee first proposed such a survey to the council in August 2018. Committee member Michael Matotek sent council a letter explaining that — in order to develop a plan for the future of the borough’s trees — accurate data about current trees was needed. “People choose to live in Swarthmore in part because of our trees,” he wrote. “But Swarthmore’s sylvan character is no accident...Swarthmore’s street trees are an integral part of the community and must be kept safe through regular planting, management, and maintenance.”
The number of borough trees is slowly decreasing, Matotek said, both because residents cut down more trees than they plant, and because of disease and pests. Emerald ash borer and the spotted lantern fly are both potent threats.
Trees Save Money
One element of the inventory’s final report will be an estimate of the economic benefit of the borough’s street and park trees. A tree canopy filters air pollutants, and roots absorb stormwater, helping prevent flooding and soil erosion while improving the health of streams. Trees help cool streets and buildings in hot weather, decreasing the need for air conditioning. They also absorb carbon dioxide, helping slow global warming. Davey will calculate the overall economic benefit of Swarthmore’s trees by considering their number, size, and species.
Davey’s Andrew Hillman estimated that every dollar spent on tree care and maintenance yields between two and four dollars in economic benefit to a community.
At a meeting of Swarthmore’s Environment Committee on January 21, members said they hoped that the survey’s estimate of economic benefit would make it possible to craft a budget to invest in and support the borough’s trees. “We’ll have some numbers about the value of the trees,” committee member Betsy Larsen said. “This could really help.” Grant money might be available for stormwater management, and for planting new trees, particularly more resilient species, Borough Manager Jane Billings said.
PHS Trees Reconsidered
Council member Lauren McKinney, chair of the Environment Committee, moved to rescind a vote the council had taken at its work session the week before to buy bare root trees from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS). These trees were to have been resold to borough residents and planted by trained PHS Tree Tenders. Council members had been under the impression that these trees could be planted anywhere in people’s yards. But, at the council meeting, McKinney said she had since learned that they could be planted only in the right of way — in other words, as street trees. It’s more complicated to have these planted by volunteers, McKinney said, instead of by “professionals who know where the gas lines are.”
Council member Betsy Larsen.
Council member Betsy Larsen disagreed, saying that the Tree Tenders who would plant the PHS trees were all members of the borough’s Tree Committee and as such authorized to plant trees. She said that bare root trees would require only shallow holes and not be likely to affect utilities.
Borough Manager Jane Billings responded that, in her experience, Swarthmore’s street trees were always planted by the public works department, landscapers, or others experienced working with PECO. “I think we need a little more discussion of it,” she said. She added that the PHS program was likely meant for communities that don’t have as robust a street tree program as Swarthmore does.
McKinney’s motion to rescind the approval passed six to one, with Larsen voting no.
PECO’s Tree Trimmers
The final tree-related subject of the evening was Billings’ report on a meeting between PECO and a few members of the Tree Committee about the power company’s vegetation management program. Several borough residents had complained that the tree trimmers contracted by PECO had pruned their trees poorly and excessively. Billings reported that Jeff Jabco, Charles Cresson, and David Page discussed the problem with PECO and even offered to go out with the trimmers during pruning. “Hopefully that will go better in the very near future,” Billings said.
View this or any other Swarthmore Borough Council meeting here
The next council meeting is Monday, March 2, at 7:30 p.m.
In 2018, on behalf of the Swarthmore Tree Committee, Michael Matotek sent a letter to Swarthmore Borough Council outlining the benefits of inventorying the borough’s street trees and the trees in its public parks. Council approved a contract for such an inventory at its February 10 meeting. Below is an excerpt from the letter.
Residents and visitors alike often speak of Swarthmore as a special, even magical, oasis containing distinctive architecture within close-knit neighborhoods near a beautiful college campus, all shrouded in a green veil of mature trees.
People choose to live in Swarthmore in part because of our trees. A recent study, sponsored by the Swarthmore Centennial Foundation, questioned eight focus groups and over 200 residents and found that a majority of participants in all groups mentioned the importance of our tree canopy when asked, “In the best of all possible worlds, what does Swarthmore look like in 20 years?”
More practically, a tree can intercept and evaporate rainfall in its own crown, thereby reducing runoff of stormwater and flooding. Trees also increase the value of homes and other property. This benefit positively affects equity development, salability of property, and sales price. It expands property and sales taxes.
Swarthmore’s streets and properties are filled with trees, shrubs, and plantings of all ages and species that line its sidewalks, frame its views, soften its edges, and provide a cooling refuge in the heat of summer. Many of the trees are mature — planted in the late 1800s and early 1900s — which enhances the borough’s stately feeling. But Swarthmore’s sylvan character is no accident, especially along its public streets. The Swarthmore Tree Committee and other Swarthmoreans before us have recognized the value of planting and caring for trees for future generations.
Swarthmore’s street trees are an integral part of the community and must be kept safe through regular planting, management, and maintenance. Currently, our canopy is slowly dying off and being cut down faster than we can plant. To make matters worse, the coming of the emerald ash borer is expected to wipe out all of our community’s ash trees, which are one of the most dominant species in our area. By not being proactive and thinking ahead, we will jeopardize the future of the Swarthmore tree canopy. We feel it is our responsibility to conserve this wonderful resource for the next generations!
Michael Matotek
Swarthmore Tree Committee
Also at Swarthmore Borough Council
Diversity and inclusion: The Human Relations Committee is drafting a statement of diversity and inclusion. They seek input from residents, business owners, and the council. To share your opinion, or to get involved in the process, contact Shaun Eyring at shaun.eyring@gmail.com.
New part-time police officer: The council approved the Public Safety Committee’s proposal to extend a conditional offer of employment as a part-time police officer to Marc Mattioli. Assuming he passes a background check and psychological and physical testing, Mattioli will be hired at a rate of $20.86/hour.
Storm water management: Borough Manager Jane Billings gave her annual storm water management report. The borough has a five-year permit from Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) to discharge stormwater into Pennsylvania waterways. The permit requires that the borough make, and comply with, a plan to reduce sediment in the borough’s waterways (by at least 10% by August 2024). Infiltration bed installation and stream bank restoration are part of the project. Billings is seeking grant money to fund some of this work.
Billings also reported that rain garden workshops will soon be offered by the Darby Creek Valley Association. More information can be found at dcva.org/Rain-Garden.
