Chemung County seeks Big Tree Registry submissions

CHEMUNG COUNTY, N.Y. ( WETM ) — Have you seen a really big tree in Chemung County? If so, the county wants to hear about it.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) maintains the New York State Big Tree Register, a list of some of the biggest trees in the state, and Chemung County isn’t on this list. The Chemung County Environmental Management Council (EMC) and Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) are looking to change this by starting Chemung County’s own Big Tree Registry, and that’s where you come in.

The EMC and SWCD want you to explore your neighborhood, trails, and scenic roads and keep an eye out for huge trees. If you see a giant tree, you can measure it (with permission from the property owner), fill out a form , and submit it to the EMC and SWCD. The EMC and SWCD are collecting applications until Sept. 30, and then, staff will travel around the county to verify measurements and determine which trees are the largest of the species. If your tree was the biggest one submitted of its species, you and the tree will be listed in the first Chemung County Big Tree Registry.

The Big Tree Registry application asks for the tree’s species, height, circumference, crown spread, and location. Winning trees will be determined based on a point system using the trees’ measurements. If you aren’t sure what species the tree you found is, the county recommends downloading the free PlantNet app on your phone to identify it. Alternatively, you can use a reference book or website.

You’ll need an extra person to help you measure the tree’s height and crown spread, and Chemung County’s website has directions for how to do this . The circumference needs to be measured 4.5 from the ground and be in inches. The tree’s GPS coordinates using NAD 83 need to be recorded as well to make it easier for EMC and SWCD staff to locate and remeasure it.

The county asks that all portions of the submission form be completed, and if possible, a photo of the tree should be submitted with the form. Phone numbers, email addresses, and private addresses will only be used by county staff for tree measurement verification purposes and will never be released to the public. The Big Tree Registry application can be printed out from Chemung County’s website .

The EMC and SWCD will compare all of Chemung County’s biggest trees to the New York State Big Tree Register, and if your tree is bigger than one of the trees on the list, staff will help you register your tree with the DEC. If you’d like to see the competition, you can see the list on the DEC’s website .

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