Paul Saywell

Whether your roots go back generations or you’re a newer resident, one thing you probably appreciate about life in Chestertown is its green scape. Natural beauty surely surrounds us, but we would be shortsighted if we did not recognize that our scenic greenery wasn’t grown in a day and requires a certain amount of sustained stewardship for it to endure and thrive.

With that in mind the Chestertown Tree Committee, which was originally established in 1981, is currently plugging away at an ambitious goal sheet of projects initiated in 2024 and set to run through 2026. The projects are indicative of the organization’s commitment to further enhance a 21^st century mindset in its methodology and program management.

Paul Saywell of Chestertown, who chairs the five-member committee, relays that the key roles the committee plays in the community include acting in an advisory role to the town in terms of decisions and project funding related to trees, providing an annual list of the committee’s goals, accomplishments and budget, developing local educational programs and providing advice to the town’s Planning Commission regarding tree and landscape planning.

Linden tree

To that end, a strategic initiative regarding residential tree maintenance has recently been enacted, Saywell says, and getting the word out to property owners is currently their mission critical.

The ordinance provides guidelines going forward for residents as to new directives regarding pruning and associated tree maintenance issues whether performed by the property owner or by a state-licensed tree expert.

According to Saywell, “Property owners may plant, prune, or remove trees under 12 inches in diameter, measured at breast height, without securing a permit from the town.”

However, any tree above 12 inches in diameter, according to the new directives, will require the property owner to submit an application with fee, prior to starting the job. A fine will be imposed if a required permit is not obtained.

The permit fee, says Saywell, is $25 and the application allows for multiple trees to be addressed with one permit. The expectation, he adds, is that new trees will be planted to maintain, if not increase our tree canopy, which is on the Committee’s list of goals. (Our current tree canopy is 35% based on a survey by Washington College’s Geospatial Innovation Program, or GIP. The goal is to get that number to 40% by the year 2030.)

The Committee states that the new directives are consistent with other types of work where a permit from the Town is required. The updated ordinance and application process can be found on the Town’s  website and can be filled out online at https://www.chestertown.gov/tree-committee.”

In instances where permit work is necessary, the homeowner is required by State law to contract with a Maryland licensed tree expert to perform that work.

This course of action, explains Saywell, protects tree workers, homeowners, neighbors, the Town, and the trees from improper pruning practices and danger. For example, if electrical or other wires are present, the licensing credentials of professionals required by law are heightened.

The enactment of this revised ordinance speaks to the goals, mission, and values of the Committee, which include ensuring relevant ordinances are brought up to date, protecting trees and educating the public in terms of stewardship, working in tandem with the Town of Chestertown and the comprehensive plans of its Main Street Chestertown initiative.

Poor tree pruning

It also speaks to the Committee’s recent accomplishments, says Saywell, which include the partnership with Washington College to create the GIP which inventories the town’s public tree base.

“An exciting project that will benefit all residents and the Town’s administration, is the compilation of a computerized inventory of all Town-owned trees,” explains Saywell. “In cooperation with Washington College’s Geospatial Innovations Program, the Tree Committee is collecting data on every Town-owned tree for use in a systematic, proactive scheduling and maintenance tool.”

The effort will create an interactive dashboard accessible to both the committee and  the community, with the aim of making better and more informed decisions about tree care and planting.

More interactive endeavors on part of the Committee include the creation of a robust social media account on Facebook, where it can continue its respective advocacy, keep residents informed, share feedback and best practices, and respond to visitor inquiries.

Additional accomplishments of the Committee in 2024 include initiating a community educational outreach program, designing a process for the review of applications and compliance enforcement, cooperating with Shore Rivers to plant 60 new trees in town, advising the Town Planning Commission regarding new tree and landscape plans for Starbucks, the new EMT Center, the proposed Indoor Tennis Center at Washington College, and the proposed housing development at Chester Arms.

American Elm

The Committee looks at April’s Earth Month designation as a continued opportunity for outreach. Part of what helps qualify the Town’s Tree City USA status is recognizing the nation’s annual Arbor Day holiday. According to and administered by the Arbor Day Foundation, this status, “Recognizes communities that demonstrate a commitment to effective urban forestry management through meeting four core standards: a tree board or department, a tree care ordinance, a community forestry program with an annual budget of at least $2 per capita, and an Arbor Day observance.”

This year, Saywell says,  Arbor Day celebrations will be held in Fountain Park on April 26^th and Committee members will be on hand to engage and answer questions. This year’s festivities will include the dissemination of free educational materials and gifts, including a variety of live potted trees.  A tree-climbing demonstration by Billy Sullivan, an arborist from Bartlett Tree Company, will be held between 10 and 11 a.m.

As we look forward to the remainder of 2025 and next year, Saywell says, the process of ordinance enforcement and continued resident education on that process will be the Committee’s greatest challenge because residents have not typically had to follow a procedure for tree maintenance in the past.

“The other thing that is going to be a big challenge is paying for the catch-up,” Saywell explains. “Most of all the trees in the town have not been regularly maintained for years. The budget for that was based per capita, so roughly $11,000 for all of the trees in the town limits.  We have requested $25,000 in the next budget year as a starting point to clean things up, with priority spending going toward safety and high visibility areas.

Saywell encourages residents with questions to connect with the Committee via Facebook or attend one of their meetings held the first Friday of every month at 3:30 p.m. in the second-floor conference room of Chestertown Town Hall at 118 N. Cross Street.

Lisa Gotto is a recent resident to Chestertown, who is immensely enjoying learning more about the area, its people, and what makes living here so special. She hopes to continue doing that through her work with the Spy and her role as owner of Tea Leaves Media, LLC,  a communications and content generation company. Since acquiring her B.A. In Communications & Journalism from Shippensburg University of PA, Lisa has been writing and editing for decades for numerous media outlets including The Morning Call and Lehigh Valley Style in Easton, Pennsylvania, and What’s Up? Media in Annapolis.