Tree Removal Project Hits Halfway Point

No problems have been encountered during according to Assistant Town Planner Derek Saari. The project started in mid December and is expected to remove about 3,000 trees from the forested area around the reservoir by the end of the month.

“At this point, I would say we’re 60 to 70 percent done,” Saari told Westborough Patch.

“I only wish the weather was a little colder,” he said, explaining that frozen ground is better than wet ground for the massive amount of equipment that navigates the forest for this project.

The harvesting will cover an estimated 90 acres of land, removing dead, diseased and fallen trees. The trees include red pine, white pine, oak and spruce. The goal is to scatter the growth cycles of trees on the land, promoting species diversity as well as a mixture of younger and older trees.

The project was initially planned in 2003. After years of planning, bidding on the tree removal project was opened in March 2011. .

the commission acknowledged that the work will change the appearance of the forest. “The Conservation Commission is fully cognizant that the timber harvesting process will not look ‘pretty’ or park-like in the short term,” commissioners said in a written statement.

Saari said that a byproduct of the work so far has been the creation of recreation spaces in the Bowman Street Conservation Area. Specifically, he noted a large, flat field behind the pavilion and the clearing of .

“That area was hit hard by the [October] storm,” he said. “A lot of trees had fallen or were hanging over the benches. We were able to get that cleared.”

Additionally, between 12 and 15 fire roads have been added to the forest, Saari said. Conservation seeding will be added to the roads by mid April. Maintenance is expected to include mowing once or twice a year.

The project will yield a gain to the town of about $10,600, Saari explained. The contractor is paying to take the trees from the area. “He is taking the trees and a lot of chips,” Saari said.

The Bowman Street Conservation Area is now complete and work has moved to a portion of the forest where Bowman Street meets Bowman Lane.

While the work is expected to end by March 1, Saari said that the date is flexible.

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