Heritage Commission weighs 45-foot Liberty Tree elm, flags disease, site and cost questions

At its Feb. 11 meeting, the Danville Heritage/Historic District Commission considered a proposal to accept an elm from a Keene-based “Liberty Tree” program to mark the country’s 250th anniversary, and members raised several practical concerns about the plan.

Commission member Carsten Springer said he had received a note from the Board of Selectmen (via the Selectmen’s administrator, Vale) about elm trees available through the Liberty Tree project and that he had sent a thank-you to Vale. Springer said the commission will check with arborist Bobby Lorree and the town forester before taking further steps. He asked whether the offered elm is a hybrid that can withstand Dutch Elm Disease, what soil and site conditions would be optimal, and noted that the tree’s 45-foot height makes it large for many town sites. Springer also raised that some elms are highly susceptible to road salt, making plantings near roads questionable.

The proposal to plant ornamental trees associated with the 250th also included an earlier suggestion from Vice Chair Sayra DeVito to add daffodils and crab apple trees; commission members noted that crab apples can help fertilize other plantings and that the Conservation Commission discussed ordering apple trees for local orchards. Marianne Sears recalled a similar anniversary tree previously planted near the Old Meeting House, suggesting historical precedent for commemorative plantings.

No cost information was recorded in the minutes; members did not adopt a planting plan or vote on purchasing or accepting trees at the Feb. 11 meeting. Next steps recorded in the minutes were to consult with the arborist and town forester, and to discuss site suitability and costs at future meetings.