Urban Forester Guards West Chester Trees

WEST CHESTER —In the hot, humid days of August, walkers, runners and cyclists get relief from the shade of the trees.

The streets in the borough of West Chester are lined with thousands of trees, most of which are 50 to 70 years old.

About 200 new trees are planted every year, with 35 being removed.

“The trees can serve as air conditioning,” Michael B. Dunn, the borough’s arborist consultant, said. “They also help with storm drainage.”

Maintaining the trees in an urban environment is no easy task.

It involves constant regulation and monitoring of the trees to ensure the safety of the residents.

The borough of West Chester adopted tree regulations in 2018, demonstrating a commitment to preserving the urban canopy.

As of last month, Dunn was granted permission by Borough Council to enforce tree regulations.

Dunn, a board-certified master arborist, surveys the streets to determine which trees need to be removed and provides guidance to residents. He also provides consulting to the borough of Phoenixville.

The borough provides information on how to obtain permits to plant or remove trees.

Residents are responsible for trees on their properties, and the borough is responsible for trees in the right-of-ways.

The borough also provides a list of acceptable trees to plant and how to take care of them. The borough will provide removal if necessary.

The borough’s tree ordinance sets fines ranging from $100 to $1000 for removing trees without a permit, injuring trees, placing stones around trees, piling materials close to trees and other violations.

Dunn said the goal is to protect the urban canopy, not to issue citations.

“The trees have a finite life,” Dunn said. “In an urban forest, the soil volume is limited.”

Dunn has two decades of experience in forest-related industries. He has a bachelor’s degree in Geo/Environmental Studies from Shippensburg University.

He graduated from the Arizona Wildfire Academy, and worked for an elite wildland fire fighting organization in Arizona.

He returned to the East Coast in 2009 and began working as a professional arborist.