Dover hosts public forum on proposed tree preservation bylaw, polling shows broad support

DOVER -- June 10, 2026, Dover's Tree Preservation Committee opened public input on a potential new tree preservation bylaw, with 60 percent of live-poll respondents strongly in support. Committee Chair Valerie Lynn and Town Planner Melissa Santucci-Razi co-led the June 10 webinar alongside MAPC consultants Diana Marsh and Jiwan Park, who identified significant gaps in existing protections, particularly on large residential lots where the stormwater bylaw applies only within zoning setbacks, leaving expansive portions of five- to fifteen-acre parcels unregulated. Eighty-nine percent of poll respondents said new residential construction, teardowns, and major additions should trigger the bylaw. Public comment divided on whether institutional landowners, including the town itself and conservation organizations, should be subject to any new rules, with Conservation Commission Agent Janet Bowser noting the commission's 600 acres already operate under a formal no-removal policy. A community survey is planned for July and a draft bylaw presentation is targeted for a September in-person forum; the next committee meeting is July 1 at 7 p.m.