Shade Tree Commission

Shade Tree Commission2023-04-19T14:43:17-04:00

Bethel Park - Shade Tree Commission

Shade Tree Commission News

Restoring the American Chestnut Tree

The American Chestnut tree, the fruit of which is featured in the famous Christmas song, was once the most common tree in Pennsylvania. The American Chestnut could be found in the wild from Maine to Georgia and had the nickname “The Redwood of the

April 27th, 2023|

Meetings:

The Commission meets quarterly, usually at 6:30 pm in the Caucus Room at the Municipal Building. The meetings are subject to change.

Mission:

The mission of the Bethel Park’s Shade Tree Commission is to create and maintain a tree canopy that will enrich our community environmentally, and aesthetically, and improve the quality of life in the Municipality.

Duties and Responsibilities:

  • The Commission will have advisory capacity over all public trees on public property or in the public right-of-way.
  • The Commission shall study the problems and determine the needs of the Municipality in connection with a tree planting, maintenance, and removal program. It will also assess the need for regulations pertaining to tree preservation, tree protection, and tree replacement specifications and guidelines for new construction and renovation projects.
  • The Commission shall have the authority to formulate a Shade Tree Master Plan within the Shade Tree Districts. The Shade Tree Master Plan shall include an inventory of existing public trees and shall provide recommendations on the care, preservation, pruning, planting, replanting, and removal or disposition of trees in parks, along streets, and on other public sites and shall specify the species of tree most suitable to be planted in these areas. Upon completion of the plan, the Commission will prepare and maintain a list containing the recommended and preferred types and kinds of trees to be planted within public areas of the Shade Tree Districts.
  • The Commission shall create and maintain an inventory of all existing public trees within the designated Shade Tree Districts. This inventory should include information on the locations, species, size, condition, and evaluation of existing public trees.
  • The Commission may, at the request of the Municipal Council, assist with the solicitation of grants and contributions. All funds obtained shall be expended at the sole discretion of the Council.
  • The Commission may, at the request of the Municipal Council, provide advice regarding land development plans or major capital renovation projects (such as roadway construction or repair or pipe installation or replacement, etc.) to determine the impact of such plans on public trees. The Commission may then make recommendations to the Municipality on the steps needed to mitigate any impacts. All materials will be reviewed in a timely fashion to coordinate with the Planning and Zoning Commission or Council meeting schedule.
  • The Commission shall, when requested by the Council, consider, investigate, make findings, report, and recommend any special matter or question coming within the scope of its work. The Commission shall study the problem and then recommend an appropriate course of action in connection with the Shade Tree Master Plan.
  • The Commission may, upon authorization by the Municipal Council, retain the services of qualified professionals.
  • The Commission shall assist the Council, as well as municipal employees and citizens, in the dissemination of news and information regarding the selection, planting, and maintenance of trees within the Shade Tree Districts. The Commission shall likewise make periodic recommendations as to relevant legislation or funding programs concerning issues relevant to the Commission.
  • The Commission shall work to develop a network of volunteers within the Shade Tree Districts. The Commission shall also work in conjunction with civic and public interest groups devoted to tree care, tree preservation, and other environmental issues relevant to the scope of work of the Commission.
  • The Commission may, upon authorization by the Municipal Council, retain the services of a certified arborist to conduct a survey of existing public trees to determine if any hazard to life or property exists or if that tree is vulnerable to any prevalent injurious disease, insect, or fungus.

Trees Suitable for Planting in Bethel Park

Trees Suitable to Plant in Bethel Park – PDF

Every tree selected for this list has its own benefits and/or limitations when growing under harsh urban conditions. The trees listed below will tolerate the adverse conditions found on most urban sites. Bring out the best characteristics of a particular tree by matching the most suited tree to your planting-specific site characteristics.

SMALL TREES – (UNDER 30′)

Acer buergerianum – Trident maple*
Acer ginnala – Amur maple
Acer campestre ‘Queen Elizabeth’ – Queen Elizabeth hedge maple
Acer tataricum – Tatarian maple*
Amelanchier x grandiflora – Serviceberry* (many cultivars)
Cercis canadensis  `Oklahoma’*- Oklahoma redbud (only cultivar drought resistant enough to qualify; specify street tree form)
Crataegus crus-galli ‘Inermis’ – Thornless cockspur hawthorn
Crataegus lavallei – Lavalle hawthorn
Crataegus phaenopyrum `Princeton Sentry’ or `Ohio King’ – Washington hawthorn*
Crataegus viridis ‘Winter King’ – Green hawthorn*
Magnolia stellata – Star magnolia*
Malus cultivars – crabapple* (disease resistance emphasized; specify street tree form) `Adams’, `Centurion’, `Donald Wyman’, `Indian Magic’, `Prairie Fire’, `Professor
Sprenger’, `Red Jewel’, `Sentinel’, `Spring Snow’, `Sugar Tyme’, `Strawberry Parfait’
Malus floribunda – Japanese flowering crabapple
Malus sieboldii x zumi ‘Calocarpa’ – Zumi crabapple
Malus zumi – ‘Glen Mills’ – Glen Mills crabapple
Prunus ‘Accolade’ or `Okame’ – Flowering cherry
Prunus sargentii ‘Columnar’ – Sargent cherry
Prunus serrulata ‘Amanogawa’, ‘Kwanzan’ – Japanese flowering cherry*
Prunus virginiana ‘Shubert’- Shubert Chokecherry
Syringa reticulata ‘Summer Snow’ or ‘Regent’ (better form than `Ivory Snow’) – Tree lilac*

*Duquesne Light Approved List Of Utility-Compatible Trees for Planting in Distribution and Sub-Transmission Corridors (Maximum Mature Height <25 Feet)

MEDIUM TREES – (30′ to 45′)

Acer campestre – Hedge maple
Acer griseum – Paperbark maple
Aesculus x carnea ‘Briotii’ – Ruby red chestnut (specify street tree form)
Carpinus betulus ‘Fastigiata’ – Upright European hornbeam
Carpinus caroliniana – American hornbeam
Halesia carolina  – Carolina silverbell
Koelreuteria paniculata – Golden rain tree
Maackia amurense  – Amur maackia
Parrotia persica – Persian parrotia
Phellodendron amurens ‘Macho’ – Amur cork tree (male seedless trees only)
Prunus yedoensis – Yoshino cherry
Quercus acutissima – Sawtooth oak
Sorbus alnifolia – Korean mountain ash
Sorbus aucuparia ‘Fastigiata’ – Upright mountain ash

LARGE TREES – (OVER 45′)

Acer freemanii – Autumn blaze maple
Acer  rubrum  – Red maple (own rooted plants best – many cultivars; ‘Autumn Flame’ and `Red Sunset’ may have better branching structure than ‘October Glory’ or ‘Armstrong’)
Celtis laevigata ‘All Seasons’ – Sugar hackberry
Celtis occidentalis ‘Prairie Pride’ or ‘Magnifica’ – Hackberry
Corylus colurna – Turkish filbert
Eucommia ulmoides – Hardy rubber tree
Ginkgo biloba – Ginkgo (male selections like `Magyar’ only)
Gleditsia triacanthos ‘Shademaster’ or other cultivars – Honeylocust
Gymnocladus dioicus  – Kentucky coffee tree (male seedless selections like `Macho’)
Liquidambar styraciflua  – Sweet gum (`Rotundiloba’ is seedless)
Metasequoia glyptostroboides – Dawn redwood (specify street tree form)
Nyssa sylvatica – Black gum
Platanus x acerifolia – London plane tree
Quercus alba – White oak
Quercus bicolor – Swamp white oak
Quercus imbricaria – Shingle oak
Quercus palustris ‘Green Pillar’ – Upright Pin Oak Bacterial leaf scorch caution
Quercus phellos – Willow oak
Quercus robur – English oak
Quercus rubra – Red oak Bacterial leaf scorch caution
Quercus shumardii – Shumard oak Bacterial leaf scorch caution
Sophora japonica – Japanese scholar tree (cultivars ‘Halka’ or `Regent’)
Taxodium distichum – Bald cypress (specify street tree form)
Tilia americana Wandell’ – Legend American linden
Tilia americana `Redmond’ – Redmond linden
Tilia cordata – Little leaf linden cultivars
Tilia euchiora – Crimean linden (ungrafted specimens)
Tilia tomentosa – Silver linden
Ulmus americana ‘Delaware’, ‘Valley Forge’ or `New Harmony’ — Dutch Elm Disease (DED) resistant elms Elm yellows caution
Ulmus `Homestead’ or `Accolade’ -hybrid DED resistant elm cultivars Elm yellows caution
Ulmus parvifolia ‘Dynasty’ or ‘Athens’ – Lacebark elm Elm yellows caution
Zelkova serrata ‘Village Green’, ‘Mushashino’, or ‘Halka’ — Zelkova (avoid ‘Green Vase’)

REFERENCES:

Jason Lubar – Morris Arboretum
Al Sam – State College Borough Urban Forester
Vincent Cotrone – PSU Extension Urban Forester
Julianne Scheiffer – PSU Extension Urban Forester
Manual of Woody Landscaper Plants – Michael A. Dirr
Recommended Urban Trees: Tree Selection for Stress Tolerance – Cornell University
Street Tree Factsheets – Municipal Tree Restoration Program and the Directory of Landscape Tree Cultivars
Creating the Urban Forest: The Bare Root Method – Cornell University

Recommended reference: Gerhold, Henry, Wandell, Willet, and Lacasse, Norman. 3rd ed. 2001. Landscape Tree Factsheets. The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, State College, PA.

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