Community Forest Commission

The Community Forest Commission (CFC) was adopted into the Town Code in January of 2009 (Chapter 16). The purpose of the commission is to recognize and promote the importance of trees in the community and the many benefits they provide.

The CFC is charged with promoting the importance of trees in the community and developing educational resources for property owners and developers in town regarding tree plantings and maintenance.

Community Forestry Commission - Tree Request

The Community Forestry Commission (CFC) is collecting requests for trees from the community to assist with our tree plant strategy for calendar year 2021 and beyond.

Our goal is to keep Branford a forested community and we need your assistance to collect this information.

Please follow the steps to place a request for a tree on town property.

1. Identify location for tree placement.  (Consult Branford GIS if unsure the location is on Town property).
2. Complete Tree Request Form 

Native Plants 

The CFC would like to get the message out to restore native trees, shrubs and perennials to our community. Native varieties thrive in local conditions and need less maintenance, because they have evolved and are adapted to our area. Native trees and plants attract and feed local and migrating birds, butterflies, bees and other wildlife that depend on natives for their survival. Please read more about the importance of planting natives through this article by the Connecticut Audubon and this Bringing Nature Home article.

Below is a short list of places where you may be able to find native plants; please contact a business ahead of time to be sure that they have native plants in stock that meet your planting needs.

• Broken Arrow Nursery; Hamden, CT 
• Earth Tones Native Plants; Woodbury, CT
• NATIVE; Fairfield, CT
• Natureworks; Northford, CT
• Van Wilgen's; North Branford, CT

Watering Practices for Recently Planted Trees

Watering is a critical factor for tree survival after planting. During the first three years after planting, regular watering is necessary. 

• Water where the roots are. The first year they are right around the root ball; be sure to expand the watering area as the tree and roots grow.
• Use less frequent but more intense watering sessions rather than frequent shallow watering.
• As a general guide, 10 gallons of water should slowly be applied once or twice a week if rainfall is insufficient.

Please Mulch Correctly

Proper mulching technique:

• Mulch roughly 3x the width of the root ball to ensure that growing roots benefit from the mulch layer
• Lay mulch 2-3 inches deep
• Mounding around the perimeter of the mulched area to create a water retaining berm is OK; NEVER mound mulch around the base of the tree!

BAD mulching/mounding mulch at the base of the tree causes:

• Bark rot
• Insect/disease penetration into bark
• Encourages growth of girdling roots around the trunk base
• Rodent infestation
• Tree death

Click here for a printable mulching flyer that you can share with others.

Commemorative Tree Planting Program

This program coordinates planting of commemorative trees on town property. If you would like to plant a memorial tree on town property, please fill out this Commemorative Tree form (download to fill out digitally) and submit it per the instructions on the form.

Town Tree Memberships and Awards

The Town of Branford is a member of Tree City USA.

In 2015 the Town of Branford was awarded $1,000 by the New England Park Association to assist with a planting plan on Melrose Ave.