Franklin Hospital red pines coming down, community input sought for landscape design

PHOTO: The red pines surrounding Franklin Memorial Hospital will soon be gone because disease and decline has made them a safety hazard, but an effort is underway to redesign the landscape. (Submitted photo)

FARMINGTON — The campus surrounding Franklin Community Health Network features acres of tall red pine trees, planted in the 1940s with the intent to harvest for lumber at maturity.
The trees were planted very close together, which has made them prone to disease because they were not harvested as intended. In 2017, a Maine Forest Service forest pathologist’s assessment determined that many of the red pines are prone to two common diseases (Diplodia tip blight and Sirococcus shoot blight), as well as insect infestations by native bark beetles that contribute to tree health decline. Many of the pine needles have turned a dry red from disease.
More recently, a local professional forester determined the trees’ health is in rapid decline. As a result, the most compromised trees were tagged and removed in August.
In mid-January, FCHN will harvest the remaining red pines. This phase involves large equipment, so the ground must be frozen hard — preferably with snow on it — to protect the ground from the equipment. The work will be done as soon as ground conditions are ideal. The work will occur over a weekend in order to make sure the impact on the hospital’s normal services will be minimal.
The campus will look much different with all the red pines gone.
“We wish there were an alternative to this major action, but unfortunately the declining tree health poses a safety threat to our patients, staff, and facilities,” the hospital said in a release.
The good news is that the forests around the campus will bounce back to life, because there are already a variety of younger hardwood trees growing under the canopy of the tall pines. As soon as the pine trees are harvested, the sunlight will allow the natural landscape to thrive.
FCHN is partnering with the Farmington Conservation Commission to develop a plan to replant portions of the harvested areas closer to the buildings. The system is also pursuing a grant from the Maine Forest Service to help with replanting costs.
In the coming months, the health system will solicit feedback from hospital employees and the community to design landscapes for all to enjoy for generations.