Old Saybrook Receives DEEP Urban and Community Forestry Planning Grant for Tree Inventory

PRESS RELEASE

For Release: Immediate

Contact: Carolyn N. Lyle

Contact Info: 860-510-1918 or lylecnl@gmail.com

Old Saybrook Receives DEEP Urban and Community Forestry Planning Grant for Tree Inventory

Goals of the project include increasing the tree canopy, protecting and managing existing trees, and improving community resiliency.

June 25, 2025, Old Saybrook, CT – The Town of Old Saybrook has been awarded an Urban and Community Forestry Planning Grant through the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) in the amount of $10,885 to conduct a tree inventory. The work is scheduled to take place between June and September and will include the creation of a database of trees, including in town parks and on town streets with the goal of developing a tree management plan to preserve mature trees, protect and care for all healthy trees, replace trees that are lost and to identify inequities of neighborhoods and spaces pertaining to tree canopy benefits.

Street tree inventories can help municipalities proactively manage risk and improve the long-term health of their urban canopy. Old Saybrook, like many coastal communities, experiences exacerbated storm and flooding events, which can jeopardize tree health and resilience. This award will fund an inventory of street trees along key transportation routes, enabling strategic management of potential hazards and creating resilience in emergency or evacuation scenarios. This award will also fund an inventory of seven town parks, with the intention of improving management and increasing canopy.

SavATree Consulting Group was awarded the contract to conduct the inventory and the Old Saybrook Tree Committee, which includes the town’s tree warden, will be the point of contact for the town. The Tree Committee will hold monthly meetings on the fourth Tuesday of

each month at 5:00 pm in the Old Saybrook Town Hall to provide updates and to solicit community feedback on the tree inventory project. The community is invited to review the draft inventory in late July or early August and to be informed of the planned usage of the tree inventory database.

The Town of Old Saybrook has shown a commitment to preserving and increasing its tree population. In addition to the activation of the Tree Committee, the town recently published a guide entitled, Green Old Saybrook, Community Tree and Shrub Planting Guide, to help residents choose the correct native species for the areas they have available for planting. To learn more about the benefits of trees to the community and to find out what Old Saybrook is doing about trees, visit https://www.oldsaybrookct.gov/land-use/pages/tree-guide-and-initiatives.

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