NRC votes to remove 31 public shade trees across Wellesley

Natural Resources Commission · Meeting of August 10, 2026

Wellesley Natural Resources Commission clears removal of 31 public shade trees, including Central Street's failing pears. Acting as town tree warden under Massachusetts General Law Chapter 87, the board voted 4-0 twice, first on 19 trees and then on a dozen more in the Central Street commercial district, after Director Brandon Schmitt said staffing gains let Public Works catch up on a monitoring backlog. Secretary Joe Schott pushed for removals to be "back to back" with replacement plantings so the corridor isn't bare for the holidays, while member Tom Hammond questioned "why they were in the first place." The board also voted 4-0 to add the town's Land Conservation Plan to its policy manual and debated, without voting, a possible land swap tied to the Select Board's North 40 fire station planning, with member Tom Hammond warning "it's astounding how little open space is left in Wellesley."

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Source: the Natural Resources Commission meeting of August 10, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.