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BELMONT, Massachusetts (WBZ) — A towering and wide tree that has stood in Belmont, Massachusetts for more than 150 years will remain standing longer than planned after a discovery right before its scheduled removal.
The copper beech tree just outside Belmont Center on the town’s green predates the invention of the automobile and has long served as a landmark in the community.
“It’s kind of become a bit of a symbol of the town of Belmont,” said Will McPhee, Belmont’s tree warden and natural resources manager.
Though the symbol has seen better days, McPhee said the tree has been battling Beech Leaf Disease, an invasive disease that is spreading across Massachusetts and causes the rapid decline and eventual death of beech trees.
“Unfortunately, this is where we find ourselves now, and it’s a sad event to see this tree go,” McPhee said of the planned removal.
Despite years of treatment, McPhee said the tree continued to deteriorate. Town officials decided it needed to be removed because it could pose a safety risk.
“It’s a very popular spot here in town,” said McPhee, pointing to kids who were playing nearby. “It is a concern of ours that a limb on a windy day or maybe even a not-so-windy day will fall on a resident or might even do damage to a structure.”
The removal had been months in the making, with residents hanging goodbye messages and memories from the tree’s branches before crews arrived to begin the work.
However, just as they prepared to cut it down, arborists found a nest containing two American robin nestlings.
“At that point, being that they are a federally protected species, we immediately halted work and we ended up going back to the drawing board,” McPhee said.
The discovery means the historic tree will remain standing until the young birds have left the nest, giving residents a little more time to say goodbye. McPhee says it could be at least another week before they can begin its removal.
“It really does go to show just how much of kind of a shared space that this tree has provided for us,” McPhee said of the nest. “It really is kind of a fitting end. I think there’s definitely something there to be appreciated.”
Once the tree is eventually removed, Belmont plans to repurpose the wood for art projects around town. Officials also plan to plant a new tree near where it once stood, with the hope that it will one day grow to become another community landmark.
Belmont, Massachusetts is about ten miles west of Boston.
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