Mike D'Agostino

Representative Mike D'Agostino (D-Hamden) testified Friday in support of a bill he authored that further protects the State's tree canopy from unnecessary pruning and removal in towns and on state roads.

The proposal, HB 5150, was raised by the legislature's Environment Committee for a public hearing.

The proposed legislation does the following:

• Clarifies that town tree wardens should post any proposed removal or pruning by a utility or other third party, thus giving residents the opportunity to object to the proposed work;
• Allows the tree wardens to post a group of shrubs, rather than individual shrubs -- saving time and expense;
• Requires the Department of Transportation to submit a plan for proposed tree management to the Department of Environmental Protection for review so as to protect non-hazardous mature tall trees from removal and to prune in accordance with arborist standards; and
• Requires utility companies to clean up debris left from tree/shrub removal.