His comments and the information he and others have since provided has reassured me. He considers the trees and woodlands of our region to be in good shape. There are local problems and there are always threats, he said, but at this time almost all indicators are favorable. Wayne also informed me that our cool and damp summer was beneficial to trees and at the same time inhospitable to many insect pests. There has been no unusual tree mortality and data suggests, for example, that about one out of every hundred red or sugar maples dies each year.
Many trees have even shorter life spans, fruit trees and Norway maples in particular.
That does not mean that all of our trees are out of harm's way. In particular, if any of your trees lost leaves early or their canopy was thinner than usual this past year, those are sure signs of stress. We should nurture our trees, replace those that die and plant additional trees whenever possible. Street trees especially need our attention. They are subject to poor drainage, salt spray, and compaction.