Bath Community
Forestry Committee
To Preserve and Expand Bath's Urban Forest
Welcome to the Bath Community Forestry Committee (BCFC)
Purpose
The Bath Community Forestry Committee is the non-profit arm of the City of Bath's Forestry Division dedicated to the protection, expansion, and preservation of the forestry resources and green-spaces found within the City of Bath.
MEETINGS
All meetings are held at the Parks and Recreationg Building, 4 Sheridan Rd., at 5:30 p.m. on the second Monday of the month, unless otherwise designated.
LATEST NEWS
As We Begin 2024...
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Welcome to the BCFC website.
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Stewardship of the urban forest of Bath remains a top priority for BCFC. Now more than ever people are walking, biking, or otherwise spending time outdoors within the City. Our parks and sidewalk trees play a huge role in providing shade and oxygen. Our air is cleaned and filtered by our urban forest trees . As the trees grow they deflect storm water from City utilities and sequester carbon from the atmosphere.
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In 2023, the Forestry Committee worked with Jack Hernandez, our City Arborist, to move trees from our tree nursery to Oak Grove Cemetery and the playground near the ball fields behind the Parks and Recreation building. We continue to source trees for the nursery and are focusing on native trees that are expected to do well despite our changing climate. This year, we planted black gum trees, a species found in southern Maine and points south, that prefer to have their feet slightly wet.
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The committee continues to maintain the trails at Butler Head and are replacing aging bridges and building new bridges to protect wet soils. We hosted several field trips in 2023 for people interested in songbirds and mushroom foraging and we look forward to hosting a slate of field trips and volunteer workdays in 2024.
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Looking into the future isn't just for fortune tellers with their crystal balls. Protection, expansion, and preservation of the urban forest requires looking into the future by its stewards as well. Unlike wondering what visions a crystal ball may yield, planning for the effects of climate change, land use changes, and pest outbreaks, such as, Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) all require setting goals and outlining/working toward those goals in a consistent manner.
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The BCFC is working behind the scenes to expand and preserve Bath's urban forest for all those living in or visiting the 'City of Ships'! We are always exploring new partnerships with other interested groups in the City and in the greater area around Merrymeeting Bay. Donations of a monetary nature, one's time, or one's talent are always welcome.
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For more information about the BCFC, call Terry Hanna at 443-8345 or email her at thanna@cityofbath.com.
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