Welcome to the Copenhaver Homes Corporation

Most, if not all, of our pin oaks need care. If a tree is in the County right-of-way, i.e. is a street tree, and needs care, please take moment to call or fax the county to request tree pruning or removal.

Contact information is:

Brett Linkletter, Arborist
Division of Operations and Highway Maintenance Department of Public Works and Transportation
101 Orchard Ridge Dr
Gaithersburg, MD 20878
phone (240) 777-7631
fax (240)-777-7670
highway@montgomerycountymd.gov

Most Copenhaver pin oaks are suffering from bacterial leaf scorch, according to Guy Tureen, Tree Maintenance Program Manager with the county Department of Public Works and Transportation (DPWT). All of our street trees are pin oaks. Mr. Tureen advised the board that this disease will kill a tree in ten to fifteen years. Most of our pin oaks will be dead in five to seven years. Some are dead now.

With a diseased but live tree, the County will prune it, thus extending the life of the tree. With a dead tree, the County will 1) remove it; 2) dig the stump, and; 3) plant a new tree.

We are urging Copenhaver residents to have the County replace the pin oaks with an oak variety that is resistant to bacterial leaf scorch. The recommendation from Mr. Tureen is as follows:

"In general, I would suggest a swamp white oak, Quercus bicolor. There is a disease that is currently attacking just about every common tree in the red oak group, and the native white oak, Quercus alba, can sometimes be difficult to transplant."

When you report the tree please be sure to give your address and the location of the tree. Unfortunately, the tree maintenance program is under-funded so County response time is long (can be two years!); so please call and get your trees on the list! Also, each step in the process, pruning, removal, stump digging, and planting requires a new call or a new letter. You may need to do follow-up calls.

If you would like more information or would like to volunteer for the Street Tree Committee, contact Sherry Kinikin at sherrykinikin@hotmail.com or (301) 424-3844.