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Date: 11/29/2022
AMHERST – The Merry Maple tree in downtown Amherst’s North Common was removed on Nov. 17 after decades of being a fixture in the community. Fans gathered around the tree for a celebration of remembrance on the night of Nov. 16 one last time.
Alan Snow, Division Director of Trees and Grounds for the DPW, explained the significance of the Merry Maple, and why the beloved tree was removed.
“The Merry Maple is a centerpiece of downtown Amherst at the north end of the Town Common, in front of Town Hall. It’s a very iconic tree for the community that a lot of celebrations have taken place around…North Common is being redesigned to improve access to it and increase green space downtown. The town asked for an assessment of the trees on the north end of the common regarding their health. I did the assessment, and found some trees that were healthy and worth preserving, and others that were not as healthy and in decline. So [the town] selected the trees that were not in the best of health [for removal], and unfortunately the Merry Maple was one of those trees at the end of its lifespan…It is being removed along with two other smaller maples,” he said.
However, Snow pointed out that the trees will not only be replaced, but actually increase in number.
“The redesign of the common calls for 12 to 15 new trees to be planted…The whole Common is being expanded into the parking lot in front of town hall; the lot will be removed, turned into green space and trees planted over it,” he said.
Amherst residents can expect these new trees by sometime in late 2023.
“They’re supposed to break ground on the North Common project in the spring. New trees would be planted in the fall, in theory,” Snow said.
At the memorial the night before removal, community members convened in North Common to pay their respects. A mailbox was provided for “Letters to the Merry Maple,” and candles were lit. Several generations were present, from elementary schoolers to seniors.
When asked about the community’s sadness for losing the tree, Snow said, “It’s a shame, it really is. It’s not an easy decision, it’s not something that was done lightly. As we begin the process of taking it down, we can see the interior of the tree; there is significant decay in a lot of the large leaders we’ve removed. So many people have talked to me and expressed concerns. They don’t want to see it removed. It means so much to them and the community. I wish we didn’t have to take it down, that we could give it a few more years to be here, but it really is close to the end of its life, in such a public place.”
Snow added that the decision to take the tree down was purely one of public safety.
“If it was in the middle of a field somewhere, and didn’t have hundreds of people a day walking and sitting beneath it, it could probably remain. But it’s in a very high-profile, high-traffic area, and the work that would be needed to be done to keep it safe and alive just for five to 10 years would be a lot of effort for such a short time…There’s always a risk with trees around but we try to minimize that risk.”
The lumber from the Merry Maple will be divided amongst local residents and artists who have requested a piece, and to be used for town projects, including benches in the new North Common.