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Parks director says red pine scale prompted tree removals; wood repurposed and more work planned
Summary
Cara Fiskinicy, Keene's parks and recreation director, said city foresters confirmed red pine scale in Wheelock Park and Dinsmore Woods, prompting a safety-driven harvest of about 9.5 acres at Dinsmore Woods; the timber was repurposed and Parks plans further, targeted removals in other parks. The director said the initial work carried no net cost to the city.
Cara Fiskinicy, the City of Keene parks and recreation director, said inspectors found red pine scale in city park stands and that the department removed about 9.5 acres of affected red pine in Dinsmore Woods to address safety hazards. "It was a 0 net cost to the city," Fiskinicy said of the Dinsmore Woods harvest, which the city arranged so harvested material would be used locally as utility poles, sawlogs and wood chips.
Fiskinicy said the city invited state and county foresters to assess conditions, identified Wheelock Park and Dinsmore Woods as areas of concern, and prioritized removals where trees posed the greatest risk. She said easement arrangements at Dinsmore Woods — administered by the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests — mean the cleared area will not be developed and will be allowed to regenerate naturally.
The parks director said the department is monitoring other sites and hopes to schedule another harvest at Wheelock Park during the coming winter season; that work may include nearby Ladies Wildwood Park for efficiency. Fiskinicy told listeners the city is trying to “take care of those safety hazards first” and to salvage material while it still has market value, noting that letting trees die before removal would have been far more expensive.
Fiskinicy also described outreach and information steps: a consultant forester attended community forums, the parks team has been updating a parks web page with FAQs and the department is soliciting questions from residents. She encouraged the public to use the city’s online pages for the latest details on affected park sites.
The parks department also previewed summer programming that will follow: a ribbon-cutting at the new spillway bridge in Greater Goose Pond Forest on Saturday, June 6, park pop-ups to highlight lesser-used parks, a summer concert series, movies under the stars and youth programs with lifeguards and seasonal staff.
