Michael Veitch will remain chair of the Woodstock Tree Committee for another year to focus on a multimillion-dollar state transportation project expected to impact the town’s trees.

At Monday’s Tree Committee meeting, members voted to keep Veitch, an environmental activist and singer-songwriter, as chair until the end of 2025 to concentrate on the New York State Department of Transportation’s sidewalk and bridge replacement project.

The $25 million project, as proposed, would rebuild four bridges between the Woodstock Village Green and Bearsville as well as replace sidewalks and widen roads. Construction is expected to begin in early 2027, according to a statement provided to The Overlook by the Department of Transportation.

“The New York State Department of Transportation is progressing a project between Rock City Road and Wittenberg Road in the Town of Woodstock to replace four bridges and enhance multi-modal access at a cost of approximately $25 million, with construction expected to begin in early 2027,” said Heather Pillsworth, a spokesperson for the agency. “NYSDOT is coordinating with multiple stakeholders, including the Woodstock Commission on Civil Design, the Complete Streets Committee, and the Town of Woodstock.”

Town Supervisor Bill McKenna confirmed the town has been working with the DOT on the project for several years.

“They (DOT) would need to take some preexisting large trees to do their project, particularly around the bridge around Tannery Brook, and there will be other trees that will have to be removed,” Veitch said.

“Our proposal to them was, if you’re going to take trees down, give us some trees,” he added.

The Tree Committee is asking for 40 new trees to be planted to line the street from the corner of Rock City Road at the Village Green to Schoonmaker Lane. Members are also in talks with DOT about sourcing “city soil”—a special mix designed to help street trees thrive by improving access to nutrients and water and preventing sidewalk damage.

Veitch, who reestablished the Tree Committee in 2014 after serving on the Environmental Commission, said the group focuses on street trees in town, including recommendations for planting and removal. The committee has planted 25 trees since its reformation.

Another priority for the committee is strengthening the town’s existing tree law, originally adopted in 2007. The law, which focuses on preservation, governs tree removal on commercial and residential properties. Members want to document the town’s preservation efforts to make Woodstock more competitive for state tree grants.

Environmental Commission Dormant

Committee members expressed concern that the dormant state of the Woodstock Environmental Commission could slow progress on expanding the tree law.

The commission has not met since last summer and lacks enough members to function, including a chair.

“We’ve done lots of outreach, and nobody has volunteered,” said Stacey Anderson, a member of the Environmental Commission.

McKenna said the Town Board has advertised the vacancies and that he personally encourages residents to serve.

“I engage members of the public on a regular basis, letting them know there are openings on various boards if they are interested in volunteering,” he said.

“Not having an Environmental Commission is an impediment to some of our activity,” Veitch said. “We are looking forward to a whole commission being reconstituted going forward. The town needs an Environmental Commission.”

Leadership Transition and New Members

In a unanimous vote, the Tree Committee also agreed that member Gay Leonhardt will transition into the chair role in 2026. Leonhardt said recruiting new members will be a top priority.

The committee welcomed a new member, Achva Benzinberg Stein, a professional landscape architect and founding director of the graduate program in Landscape Architecture at the City College of New York Spitzer School of Architecture.

Additionally, members voted to adopt a four-year term limit for both the chair and members, formalizing the committee’s governance.

Amy Wu is a reporter covering Woodstock and Saugerties. Send correspondence to amy@theoverlooknews.com.