Springdale looks to establish shade tree commission

In an effort to spruce up the borough, Springdale could grow a shade tree commission.

Addressing borough council earlier this month, resident Deborah Sigmund said a nonprofit, TreeVitalize Pittsburgh, offers an application-based program that provides trees to municipalities.

“It makes the business district look nice,” she said. “The trees that are there right now, most of them are dead, or almost dead. They’re growing in separate branches.”

The borough could remove those trees, and TreeVitalize is willing to plant new trees there at no cost to the borough, Sigmund said.

A TreeVitalize representative did not respond to requests for comment.

TreeVitalize requires municipalities to establish a shade tree commission and to submit an authorization letter, Sigmund said.

Shade tree commissions are meant to monitor a community’s trees.

Sigmund also noted she is a “tree tender” because she has participated in tree plantings. That adds weight to the borough’s application.

No one on council objected to the idea. They allowed Sigmund to proceed with the application. Council intends to move forward with establishing a shade tree commission during a meeting in January.

Since its inception in 2008, TreeVitalize Pittsburgh has planted more than 38,500 trees throughout Allegheny County, including in Harrison, Brackenridge, Sharpsburg, Aspinwall, Penn Hills and Oakmont.

TreeVitalize Pittsburgh is a joint project of Allegheny County Parks, the City of Pittsburgh, Tree Pittsburgh, the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy.

Solicitor Craig Alexander said Verona underwent something similar a few years ago and the initiative has boosted the borough’s appearance.

“If you drive through Verona, you’ll see how the trees look, 5 to 7, 8 years after they were planted,” he said. “It’s really nice.”