Since Monday, October 3, 2011, I have been receiving many concerned calls and emails regarding the return of the Nstar utility line tree pruners.  First let me start by saying that I have been with the Nstar pruning crews each day they have been in town.  There have been two crews working and they both work in very close proximity to each other.  I do not have to chase them around on different streets. 

I know that many pictures have been posted online and can seem pretty alarming at first sight.  I assure you that the pictures are not telling the whole story.  Most of our trees in Watertown, and many of the trees in the photos, are older Norway maples.  Most of them were planted around the same time period, either after the hurricane of 1938 or the hurricane of 1954.  Unfortunately most of these trees have grown to a point where their root systems are now so wound up in the small planting area between the street and sidewalk that they are now “strangling” the trees or they have reached their natural age of decline.  This is called girdling and when girdling happens, branches die and need to be removed.  When you are walking around town, take a look up into the trees.  You will see exactly what I see everyday…many dead branches.