Backgound

Goal

Activities

Memorial Tree
Program

Links

Contact

Background

McClellanville is a town of magnificent live oaks and home of the Deerhead Oak, estimated to be 1000 years old, as SC's Heritage Tree of 2007. The town's tree resources attract visitors and new residents and are the pride of long-term residents. The Tree Committee was formed in 1999 as an ad hoc committee designated by the Town Council to develop an Urban Forest Plan to help protect and enhance the town's unusual tree resources. The current, all volunteer, committee consists of twelve citizens who are dedicated to tree care and public education.  

Goal

Protect and enhance McClellanville's rich urban forest resources by:
• maintaining the town's canopy of live oaks and other species,
• increasing the population of a variety of native species,
• maintaining trees of various age groups correctly spaced and pruned, and
• engaging residents and property owners in maintaining privately owned and publicly-owned parts of the urban forest.

Activities

• Developed a "Plan for McClellanville's Urban Forest" (2000).
• Assisted in drafting and enhancing the town Tree Ordinance of 2005, and assists the Town's Planning Board, Zoning Board and Council in enforcing the ordinance by providing on-sight recommendations and conflict resolution in development/urban forest issues.
• Provided training and education for Committee members and the public through workshops, disseminating urban forest management material and providing public demonstrations of tree planting and maintenance.
• Conducted a Tree Pruning Demonstration (2008) and a Tour of Trees (2008) for the community.
• Placed the Deerhead Oak in protective status (2001) and promoted this oak to be designated South Carolina' Heritage Tree of 2007.
• Developed an initial public-tree inventory of and mapped approx. 400 important trees on public lands (2007). Expanded the inventory in 2009 to 700 public trees, incorporating a digital format and GIS mapping, with plans to expand to approx. 900 trees (2009-2010).
• Developed a management plan for the Town's public trees which includes tree condition, maintenance needs with costs and the value of the urban forest.
• Work with the SC Dept. of Transportation and SC Electric and Gas Co. to assure that tree pruning and removal is performed appropriately and sidewalk maintenance over tree roots is non-damaging;
• Participated in SC Arbor Day activities for the past eight years with educational tree planting programs and tree seedling distribution for students in the town schools;
• Been awarded Tree City USA recognition eight years in succession;
• Received grants from the SC Urban and Community Forestry Council in 2007 and 2008 for community and committee education, tree planting, public tree inventory and management plan 

Memorial Tree Program

A memorial tree planting program was initiated in 2001 when ten live oak trees were planted near Town Hall and along Pinckney St. to honor deceased or special people. Citizens may purchase a live tree to be planted and cared for by the Tree Committee. A permanent record of the donors and the person(s) honored and the mapped location of each tree is kept at Town Hall. The program enhances the beauty of the village and remains a living memorial for the designated person. Eighty memorial trees have been planted in the past eight years. Call McClellanville Town Hall to participate in this program.

To participate in the program,  print a Memorial Tree Program form, complete the form and bring or mail it and your check for one hundred dollars to Town Hall at 405 Pinckney Street, McClellanville, SC 29458.

Contact

Ed Farnworth, Chair 843-697-3325 egfarnworth@aol.com 

Links

Tree City USA
Arbor Day Foundation's National Regonition for Greener Communities

Arbor Day Foundation

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