The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1916-06-09
THE ROADSIDE TREE Law.
Its Provisions But Slightly Affected
by Recent Legislation-Its En-
forcement Still Guarantees
Shade Tree Pro-
lection.

Shade Tree Pro-
lection.
At it's last legislative session the
Maryland General Assembly enacted
an Amendment to the States Road
side Tree Law as passed by the pre-
vious Legislature. This Amendment
carried a minor modification of the
Statewide Law that trees belonging
within public rights-of-way shall be
handled as such, not cut down or
Unfortunately trimmed to satisfy
the within of anyone who happens to
object to their being beside the, road
way, whether the objector were the
abutting householder, professional
trimmer, or someone whose wires
were in the way of the trees.
The exception states That trees
standing within the right-of-way of
unimproved public roads which have
not been surfaced with either stone,
shell, gravel, concrete, brick, asphalt
or other improved surface may be
cut down and removed by the abut-
ting landowner for his own use with
out first obtaining a permit" This
passage, taken verbatim from the
Law, defines clearly and exactly the
only change made by the Legislature
of 1916 since it's passage by the
body of 1914. This exception was
inserted at the instance of the Board
of Forestry, which must enforce the
law.
Since the enactment of this meas
ure practically the only objection
disinterestedly raised by anyone who
has witnessed it in application has
occurred over the protection accord
ed trees shading unimproved high
ways. These latter, of course, sell
dom traverse the most populous dis
tricts, being in consequence not
heavily travelled and their appear
ance more a matter of local than
general concern. People residing
beside them must therefore look to
their appearance, and the Amend
ment places the trees of the abutting
landowner altogether in his hands,
for his own use. The trees lining
such roads are very frequently OF
nearly valueless specimens and spe-
cies, often as we'll being so placed
along the narrow roads that oc-
casiona1ly theN interfere with the
operations of adjoining farmers.
Those favoring greater latitude
in the governing of these particular
conditions, reinforced in certain
cases by others who for other
reasons wished also to have the bars
let down, variously advanced and
advocated number of revisions and
exceptions which were impractical to
a greater or less degree, some OF
them applying only in one county
some in one or two others. When
these had for the greater part been
dropped, those who had originally
interested themselves in securing
the Roadside Tree Law for the State
decided that the above given modi-
fication Of this Act most nearly met
the situation from all sides safely
and satisfactorily.
This change cannot detract in the
slightest from the proper shading
of largely travelled, improved high
ways, though at the same time 1t
gives to such landowners as may
have property rights alongside I'M
improved highways authority to
themselves remove forthwith any
offending shade trees, for their own
use. At the same time the public,
along any roadway-improved or
funimproved, macadamized or dirt
will continue to be thoroughly pro-
tected in the matter of its shade
trees from the operations of per-
sons, not the owners, who for per-
sonal reasons might destroy or
damage public shade trees.
This is slight change in
modern, constructive piece of legis-
lation, passed for the good of the
State as whole, enforced since its
enactment for the direct welfare of
the public. This amendment will
be further aid to it's more general
understanding, enforcement and
benefits