WATERVILLE — The city is launching an effort to inventory neighborhood street trees, see what need be done to help maintain them and begin replacing those that have been lost to storms, disease and other issues.

City Manager Bryan Kaenrath announced Tuesday to the Waterville City Council that a city manager’s street tree task force is being formed to begin the project, which is to include proposing funds in the capital plan this year for seed money and applying for Project Canopy grant funding.

Kaenrath said the benefits of street trees are numerous, including providing cooling during the summer heat, improving air quality and enhancing neighborhood beautification, which raises property values. He added that there is data showing consistent street trees along a street slow traffic or calm traffic by providing a perceived narrower roadway.

“There are many neighborhoods in Waterville that are currently lacking some decent street tree cover. Many older trees have died and moved on that need replacing,” he said. “So our objective here with this group is to begin to map out where we can begin to replenish our trees, obviously involving our parks and rec department, and creating a more robust program for keeping this effort going into the future and valuing our street trees around Waterville.”

The committee is expected to look at a number of species of trees that would be suitable, Kaenrath said.

“Of course, there is the elm, which we’re known for as the ‘Elm City,'” he said. “There is a new disease-resistant elm that many communities are using, and I think there is some excitement to bring some elms back to the ‘Elm City,’ so we’re excited about this. It’s going to be an ongoing effort involving many people.”

Years ago, many elm trees lined Waterville’s streets, prompting the “Elm City” nickname, but Dutch elm disease ravaged the trees in the 1950s and 1960s, forcing the city to cut them down.

A large elm tree in Castonguay Square, next to City Hall, is one of the few remaining elm trees in the city. Named “Ellie” by former City Manager Michael Roy, the tree is estimated to be about 75 feet tall, 40 inches in diameter at its trunk and between 120 and 150 years old. The city has been fertilizing and caring for it every year.

Kaenrath said five or six people have volunteered to serve on the street tree task force, and anyone interested in joining the effort should contact him at Waterville City Hall.

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