Wayne likely home to biggest yellow birch in U.S.

A Wayne yellow birch with a crown spread of 74 feet is probably the biggest tree of its species in the United States, according to Urban and Community Forestry Coordinator for the State of Maine Jan Santerre, citing its score in the soon-to-be released 2009/2010 National Register of Big Trees. Sponsored by Douglas Stevenson, its "total points," at 343, surpasses the previous Yellow Birch champion at 293 points, found in Gogebic County, Mich. "It's pretty well a sure bet" that the Wayne tree will become national champion, says Santerrre, who cites Maine's climate, soils, and land use history as reasons why champion Yellow Birches have tended to come from Maine. The previous 20-year champion was a Deer Isle tree. Cathy Cook of North Wayne began noticing the tree on walks she has taken through a woods for years. "I was always amazed it made it through wind and snow storms," she says. Thinking it was on Doug and Holly Stevenson's land (it is on a neighbor's), she showed it to them. "When the Kennebec Journal featured stories on the Big Tree nomination process, Doug responded by measuring and nominating the tree." Cook also noticed an equally big Yellow Birch behind her house, but it was not a contender due to low branching. "I am now hooked on looking for big trees!" she says. To sponsor a big tree, a nominator completes a form and sends it to American Forests, the organizer of the register, documenting the circumference, height, and crown spread of the tree. A sum of these measurements equals the total points for the tree. The American Forests Big Tree Measuring Guide web site explains the process. While it is possible for a layperson to do the measuring, for a tree to become the state's nominee it is preferable if a professional does it. Santerre verified Stevenson's measurements, which were "very close." American Forests, whose mission is to "grow a healthier world" by "fostering healthy forest ecosystems for every community," has since 1990 supported a Global ReLeaf campaign that "has been planting native trees in rural and urban ecosystem restoration projects across the United States and around the world." The planting may occur on hillsides to reduce erosion, or along lakes and streams to reduce polluted runoff and sedimentation. The organization keeps a Big Tree registry as part of its strategy to document and encourage the preservation of the largest trees of each species. Three champions remain from the original 1940 registry: the giant sequoia (General Sherman), Rocky Mountain juniper (Jardine Juniper), and Western juniper (Bennett Juniper). "I think it is special to have this distinction," says Stevenson, who may seek grant funding to further the role of the tree in education, access, and preservation. The section of woods where Wayne's champion Yellow Birch grows also holds a very large certified American Chestnut. The Wayne American Chestnut was identified as such by Theresa Kerchner, according to Stevenson, who estimates its diameter at somewhere close to 20 inches. American Chestnuts once populated eastern North America until decimated by a blight estimated to have killed up to three billion trees. Wikipedia places at under 100 the number of surviving American Chestnuts measuring over 24 inches in diameter within the tree's former range. Jay Lindsey, formerly of Wayne, now Winthrop, is the manager of one of four National Chestnut nurseries at Highmoor [University of Maine's Cooperative Extension farm in Monmouth] that will be reintroducing this important tree to the nation's streets," says Stevenson. The Highmoor project breeds American Chestnuts to be resistant to diseases that can attack them. Wayne's Yellow Birch is one of seven Maine champion trees nominated for National Champion for the 2009-10 registry. Three Maine champions were listed in the 2008-9 registry: a Tamarack, Bigtooth Aspen, and Eastern White Pine, all measured in 2005. There were 733 champion or co-champion trees in the 2008-9 registry. Nominations for the 2009-2010 national registry close in October, at which time, if the Wayne tree remains the largest, it will have won.