As part of a statewide effort spearheaded by the CTPA, our state tree will be planted in every city and town in Connecticut. This tree planting is in honor of the 100th Anniversary of the passage of the state’s Arborist Law. This law, currently comprising Section 23‐61a‐m of Connecticut’s General Statutes, requires that arborists in the state are licensed. It also establishes the foundation for proper tree care. Because of this law, knowledge and practice of tree care are notably better within the State of Connecticut than elsewhere in the country. For a state that values its trees, this is an accomplishment worth celebrating.
A Licensed Arborist representing each of Connecticut’s 169 cities and towns has volunteered to plant the tree. Stacey Marcell, Licensed Arborist and owner of Northeast Horticultural Services has volunteered to represent Bridgeport in this collective effort. Stacey has worked with the municipality to plant the tree in the best location and also help with its nurturing and growth over the years.
Bridgeport is renowned for its public park system, which is the reason behind its nickname, “The Park City.” It’s only fitting that Stacey has chosen to plant the tree in the city’s first park, Clinton Park, established in 1666.
“As a licensed arborist for over 20 years, I’m an advocate of the Arborist Law and a firm believer that tree work should be done the right way, by the right people, with the right knowledge and skills,” Stacey says. “It’s an honor to celebrate this memorable milestone by giving back to the City of Bridgeport in the best way I know how – planting and caring for trees.”
In addition to the trees, the CTPA is donating a small plaque to be displayed, so that it may share its appreciation for the support arboriculture receives from the State Legislature. CTPA acknowledges that 100 years is a long time. Of course, as it plants these commemorative trees, the Association also notes, “100 years is not old for an oak, particularly for one growing strong and solid, rooted in good soil.”
About the Connecticut Tree Protective Association (CTPA)
The Connecticut Tree Protective Association owes its existence to the original Arborist Law. It was quickly recognized by those who supported passage of the law that there needed to be an organization that would help train those who sought this license. Hence, the CTPA was organized in 1922. Today, CTPA has over 800 members, the vast majority of whom are licensed as arborists by the State of Connecticut. Altogether, the state currently has about 1,000 individuals licensed as arborists. For further information, please visit the CTPA website at www.CTPA.org.
About the Arborist Law
The original Arborist Law (originally the Tree Expert Law) was passed by the General Assembly in 1919, a time when Connecticut’s forests were still re‐growing and in which the gypsy moth and the chestnut blight were rapidly becoming major tree problems. It was then that the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, among others, recognized a developing problem with hacks and charlatans selling tree care services which were often no good and sometimes downright dangerous. The first Arborist Law, then called the Tree Expert Law, required anyone who sold their services as a tree expert to demonstrate their knowledge of trees and of tree care through a rigorous examining process. It was this testing process that laid the basis for the qualifications that everyone must demonstrate if he or she seeks to sell his or her services as an arborist.
by Stacey Marcell, Licensed Arborist
Stacey Marcell, owner of Northeast Horticultural Services, has a profound passion for the environment and the cultivation of healthy, attractive and sustainable trees and landscapes. Her dedication to the environment and deep love for nature led her to form Northeast Horticultural Services. She hopes to educate people to be good stewards of the earth and looks to form lasting relationships with clients so she can watch her landscapes grow to their full potential.
Arborist #S-4454