The Gardiner City Council voted unanimously on Feb. 12 to remove two longstanding ash trees on the lower level of Dearborn Park as part of a broader park improvement project, following arborist recommendations and concern about emerald ash borer threats.

Robert Abbey, chair of the city’s Parks Committee, said the committee had followed the council’s earlier guidance to involve an arborist and assess tree health. "This is a park for the next generation of Gardiner folks," Abbey told the council, noting that protecting older trees during construction could require additional excavation and future rework if the trees later decline.

John Cameron, Gardiner’s public works director, said he and arborist Gary Ladner inspected the site and recommended removing the two older ash trees and some adjacent trees on the lower tier. "His recommendation was to remove those two trees and leave it a more open space," Cameron said. He added that trees on the next tiers would be retained and that the public works department favored not replanting on the bottom tier because new pavers and constrained planting space would likely require redoing the area again in a relatively short time.

Councilors also cited the threat from emerald ash borer. "If you read ... the state predicted, they predict that the ash forest will disappear within a time period of about five to 20 years," Abbey said, citing input from state entomology resources and a state forester who advised the committee.

The council’s vote accepted the parks committee recommendation to remove the ash trees; members emphasized the decision was limited to removal and that the committee would return with a recommendation about replacement species. Councilor Gay Grant said she was not ready to approve replacements and that the subcommittee would bring replacement recommendations to a future meeting.

Why it matters: The two ash trees occupy a prominent position and are part of a planned park redesign; removing them reduces the risk of major disruption later and takes into account regional insect pressures and long-term maintenance needs. The parks committee plans to propose replacement options after further review and consultation with forestry specialists.

Next steps: The parks subcommittee will recommend replacement species at an upcoming meeting; public works and the parks committee will coordinate the removal and incorporate the decision into the project timeline.