The Cergy-Pontoise agglomeration has just set up a protection service for “tree heritage”, trees being more vulnerable in the city. Inventories, management plans, care of arborists or even revegetation: numerous missions are envisaged.
In Val-d’Oise, the agglomeration of Cergy-Pontoise has just set up a protection service for “tree heritage”. The objective is to preserve the city’s 20,000 trees. Some trees reach 50 years, which is rare for trees that grow in an urban environment, and can therefore be sick and see their branches fall.
“In the city, the tree is more fragile, more sensitive to atmospheric conditions and pollution. So, we must be extremely vigilant when it comes to its monitoring and its health status,” assures Christophe Etchemendy, head of the tree heritage service at the agglomeration of Cergy-Pontoise, at the microphone of BFM Paris-Île-de-France.
In Grouchy Park, a lime tree is 200 years old and its branches are weakened. Cables were installed to hold them and barriers were also installed all around to protect it.
“Replant a lot of trees”
However, the number of people qualified to maintain all the trees in the Cergy-Pontoise agglomeration is low. Two people were needed to come and lend a hand to the teams already present in the municipalities, one of which started this Tuesday.
“We were looking for these people in order to help and support the municipalities in phytosanitary diagnoses, that is to say to have the state of health of these trees at a given time,” explains the head of the tree heritage service. .
He also mentioned other essential missions: the establishment of inventories “to know the heritage”, management plans “since it is necessary to intervene adequately on this aging and sensitive heritage” or even “to call on arborists” to provide tree care.
“Moreover, it is absolutely necessary to think about a replacement. We will release substantial budgets to plan for the future,” affirms Christophe Etchemendy who assures that it is necessary to increase greening in public spaces. “Today, everyone knows, we need to replant a lot of trees,” he concludes.
The desire of the Cergy-Pontoise agglomeration is to plant two trees when one tree is cut down.
Clémence Renard with Emma Forton
