# Public Shade Tree Committee Oct 13, 2026


**Body:** Town of Amherst, MA
**Date:** October 16, 2026
**Jurisdiction:** SLED

**Tags:** Environment, Grants & Funding


The Town of Amherst Public Shade Tree Committee discussed tree maintenance, planting and volunteer activities, and plans for the committee’s 50th anniversary. DPW reported upcoming pruning along roads scheduled for paving, including lifting tree crowns to maintain 14-foot clearance, alongside work on hazardous trees. The committee also discussed planning spring nursery stock, noting that several dawn redwoods and hackberries had been removed from the nursery, and considered future planting and maintenance days. A member noted that tree-related purchases do not have a clearly separate budget line and that account balances with Amherst Farmer Supply did not align neatly, though a recent tarp purchase was allowed.

The committee reviewed a newly open state DCR Tree Canopy Enhancement Grant for disadvantaged neighborhoods, offering $20,000–$100,000, potentially for projects such as restoring sidewalk tree pits. Members asked for the grant announcement link to consider possible applications; no grant application, contract award, or new spending approval was made. The committee continued work on a proposed significant-tree bylaw for possible consideration in 2027, discussing eligibility thresholds, removal fees, enforcement workload, and impacts from ADU development. This remains under development, not an adopted policy.

**Source:** Town of Amherst, MA