Dover hosts public forum on proposed tree preservation bylaw, polling shows broad support

DOVER — June 10, 2026 — Dover's Tree Preservation Committee opened public input on a potential new tree preservation bylaw, with 60 percent of live-poll respondents strongly in support. Committee Chair Valerie Lynn and Town Planner Melissa Santucci-Razi co-led the June 10 webinar alongside MAPC consultants Diana Marsh and Jiwan Park, who identified significant gaps in existing protections — particularly on large residential lots where the stormwater bylaw applies only within zoning setbacks, leaving expansive portions of five- to fifteen-acre parcels unregulated. Eighty-nine percent of poll respondents said new residential construction, teardowns, and major additions should trigger the bylaw. Public comment divided on whether institutional landowners — including the town itself and conservation organizations — should be subject to any new rules, with Conservation Commission Agent Janet Bowser noting the commission's 600 acres already operate under a formal no-removal policy. A community survey is planned for July and a draft bylaw presentation is targeted for a September in-person forum; the next committee meeting is July 1 at 7 p.m.