City of Salem Announces Century Tree Program

Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll and the Salem Tree Commission have established the Century Tree Program, a new initiative tied to Salem 400, Salem’s quadrennial celebration, which aims to plant the next generation of heritage trees at suitable locations throughout Salem for future residents to enjoy for decades to come.

Salem residents are invited to submit their suggestion for potential sites for Century Trees by emailing the location to centurytree@salem.com. The City’s Tree Warden will review the proposed locations to select the most appropriate ones for plantings that will grow and flourish throughout the 21^st century and, potentially, beyond. Each Century Tree will be designated with a plaque commemorating its planting.

A heritage tree is usually recognizable by its age, rarity, and size, as well as aesthetic, botanical, ecological, or its historical value. Salem is planning ahead and identifying now sites where residents may enjoy seeing a grand tree growing through the 21^st century. When suggesting a location, make sure the site is:

• Visible from the road or sidewalk,
• Clear of overhead wires,
• Open for the roots to grow
• Full of sunlight and
• Accessible to water

“From our recently completed City-wide tree inventory and maintenance plan, to the new tree ordinance and commission, to the nearly 5,000% increase in our tree planting budget over the last four years, Salem is committed to our public trees as a critical part of our climate change mitigation strategy, our beautification efforts, and our historic legacy as a green city,” said Mayor Driscoll, in announcing the new program.

Click here to listen to an audio version of this news announcement.