LYNN — The city’s eighth Lynn Tree Committee meeting brought a mix of celebration, concern, and collaboration on April 17 as local leaders, forestry professionals, and residents gathered to share updates on ongoing planting efforts and looming ecological challenges — just days before the city’s Arbor Day celebration.
The evening featured two special guests: Jamie King, director of coaching and consulting at American Forests, and Fred Chanania, a certified arborist and volunteer chair of West Newbury’s Tree Committee. Both offered guidance as Lynn faces federal grant losses, aggressive tree diseases, and growing urgency around urban canopy equity.
“This work is hard, and it’s important,” King said, whose national nonprofit has supported tree equity initiatives across the country. “Even though some funding has been pulled, the momentum is still there. The partnerships, the tools, the people — you don’t need to stop.”
King acknowledged the impact of recent federal program cuts, calling them “fiscal and psychological warfare,” but emphasized that cities like Lynn can still make progress through creativity, coaching, and coalition-building. He will be in Boston for Arbor Day and said he hopes to visit Lynn in person during that time.
Forestry Coordinator Erica Holm, who hosted the meeting, confirmed that Lynn lost nearly $470,000 in anticipated funding when a $550,000 Inflation Reduction Act grant through the Arbor Day Foundation was terminated in February. A formal dispute has been filed, but no resolution has been announced.
Still, Holm said Lynn’s tree program is pushing forward. “We’ll do as much as we can,” she said. “My position is secured through May, and we’re going to make this Arbor Day count.”
The city’s official Arbor Day event will take place Tuesday, April 29, at the Lynn Public Schools Early Childhood Center on Bennett Street. Mayor Jared Nicholson will present a proclamation, and five trees will be planted.
An additional tree planting with youth participants from Roca Inc. is planned for April 25, supported by a $1,000 Arbor Day grant from the New England Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture. Holm also secured 200 native seedlings and 200 coloring books to distribute to families at the April 29 celebration.
In addition to federal grant losses, Holm said Lynn continues to make steady progress under its FY25 Greening the Gateway Cities Implementation Grant. That state-funded project includes the preparation of 80 new tree pits — 47 of which have already been completed — and the planting of 110 trees by June 30. Shade trees are being prioritized for “hot spot” neighborhoods where canopy cover is below 10 percent.
One of the most visible accomplishments is the reopening of six long-covered tree pits in Central Square, where DCR crews are now preparing to plant sweetgum and hackberry trees next week. “These pits were sealed in asphalt for four years,” Holm said. “Now they’re open again, and these new trees are going to make a big difference downtown.”
Community activist Calvin Anderson welcomed the news but urged the city to hold developers accountable for past tree removals. “We’ll take the new trees, but Procopio’s not off the hook,” he said, referencing the Central Square construction site where old growth trees were lost. Anderson also advocated for an adopt-a-tree program and proposed forming a “Friends of Lynn’s Urban Forest” group to assist with donations and care.
Holm agreed that public watering would be essential, and said the city is ordering dozens of 2-gallon watering cans with Urban Forestry stickers for volunteers. Newly planted trees will also be equipped with gator bags, which help prevent drought stress and protect trunks from damage. “If you notice a bag is empty for two weeks, that’s the time to fill it,” she said.
Later in the meeting, Fred Chanania shared lessons from West Newbury, where he founded a volunteer-run tree committee despite having no formal ordinance or city funding. The town, which has a 60 percent canopy cover and thousands of protected acres, has focused on education, species mapping, and disease response rather than large-scale planting.
“We have three state champion trees and over a thousand acres of woods,” Chanania said, who is also a master-certified arborist and retired ecologist. “We lead walks, give consultations, and put together materials people can use to care for what they already have.”
Chanania also issued a warning: Beech leaf disease — a fast-spreading condition caused by a tree-infesting nematode — has now infected an estimated 90 percent of beech trees in West Newbury. “Four or five years ago, this didn’t exist,” he said. “Now it’s in the buds, and we don’t yet know what’s going to happen. It’s unlike anything we’ve seen.”
Holm confirmed that beech leaf disease is present in Lynn as well, with banding symptoms observed in Lynn Woods, Pine Grove Cemetery, and at least one European beech on private land. “It’s here, and we’re watching it,” she said. “Treatment options are emerging, but for now, monitoring is critical.”
Holm closed the meeting with a call to action for students, volunteers, and residents of all backgrounds to get involved. “Even something as small as sending in a photo helps,” she said. “This is a team effort. We all have a role to play.”
The next Lynn Tree Committee meeting will be held May 15.
