Connecticut Tree Protective Association was conceived at Hammonasset Beach on August 16, 1922 by a group of men vitally interested in the promotion of better protection and care of shade, fruit and forest trees in the State of Connecticut. A committee, consisting of F.S. Baker, F. A. Bartlett, E.F. Coe, G. A. Cromie and C. A. Millane organized the first meeting with thirty-two charter members.
From these humble beginnings the Connecticut Tree Protective Association was born.
History 1914-1919
1904: Gypsy moth arrives in Connecticut and brings with it a greater demand for tree care professionals.
1907: Chestnut blight fungus is collected in Connecticut for the first time and within five years it sweeps throughout the state, all but eliminating American chestnut from the forest.
1919: Cornelius A. Millane persuades the legislature to pass a licensing law for tree workers called “The Expert Law”.
1919: The Connecticut Tree Protection Examining Board is formed; Mr. Millane is the first to take and pass the test and is issued Certificate #1.
1919: The first institute for educating tree workers is held at The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station.
History 1920-1939
1922: The Connecticut Tree Protective Association is formed around a nucleus of 32 charter members to fill the need for educating tree workers.
1923: At the first annual meeting the CTPA Constitution is adopted, C. A. Millane is elected as first president of the infant 55 member organization.
1928: The first CTPA newsletter is published as the “Connecticut Tree Worker”.
1933: Dutch elm disease is observed for the first time in Connecticut.
1938: The great hurricane destroys trees throughout Connecticut.
1939: The Great Depression results in the proliferation of small tree care companies as foremen are laid off from the few larger companies that existed at the time.
History 1940-1959
1945: Membership in the CTPA grows rapidly as men returning from World War II seek careers in Forestry and Horticulture.
1945: The Stockbridge School of Agriculture at the University of Massachusetts becomes the first to offer courses in tree care.
1946: Dr. Albert E. Dimond is appointed the first editor of the CTPA and publishes the first issue of “News and Views of the Connecticut Arborist”.
1946: The chain saw, developed during the war for clearing land for roads, revolutionizes the emerging tree care industry
1946: The introduction of the wood chipper provides tree workers with a valuable clean-up tool for tree removal and pruning operations.
1947: The Silver Anniversary Meeting of the CTPA is held in Hartford
1947: CTPA successfully spearheads an effort to have the white oak adopted as the Connecticut State Tree.
1947: The invention of the hydraulic sprayer greatly facilitates the application of pesticides for controlling pests and diseases of trees.
1949: The present logo of the CTPA is adopted
1954-5: A series of destructive hurricanes devastate Connecticut and a damaging flood sweeps through the Naugatuck Valley.
1955: The Articles of Association of the CTPA are filed with the Department of State.
History 1960-1979
1961: Charles Barr is appointed the first Executive Secretary of the CTPA.
1969: Oscar Stone is elected Secretary and begins a career of distinguished service to the CTPA that will bridge four decades.
1971: Gypsy moth infestation in the Northeast reaches its highest level in history and more than 654 thousand acres of forest in Connecticut are defoliated.
1972: The Golden Anniversary Meeting of the CTPA is held in Hartford.
1976: The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection requires that all licensed arborists be re-certified periodically in order to apply pesticides.
1978: A February blizzard paralyzes the Northeast by dumping several feet of snow and causing widespread damage to trees and power lines.
1979: The CTPA obtains nonprofit status with the Internal Revenue Service.
1979: The modern form of the Arborist Law is adopted.
History 1980-1999
1981: Gypsy moth infestation reaches a new record high across the Northeast and defoliates nearly 1 million acres of forest in Connecticut.
1982: The CTPA helps to defeat a “Sunset” Committee recommendation to close the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station.
1982: The Legislative Review and Investigations Committee votes to terminate the Arborist Law effective next year.
1983: The CTPA fights to keep the Arborist Law and defeats the Committee’s efforts in the Legislature.
1985: Hemlock woolly adelgid, a devastating exotic pest of hemlock, is observed for the first time in Connecticut on residential trees in Middlebury and New Haven.
1985: Hurricane Gloria sweeps across Long Island Sound and causes widespread destruction of trees, especially along coastal Connecticut.
1985-7: CTPA observes Arbor Day by pruning trees along more than 2 miles of the Merritt and Wilbur Cross Parkways and at a Boy Scout camp.
1988: Alan Carey is appointed Executive Secretary of the CTPA and within two years he assumes the editorial duties as well. He revitalizes the newsletter and elevates the organization to greater prominence.
1989: A fungus that kills gypsy moth is discovered for the first time in Connecticut and elsewhere. Pest populations crash throughout the Northeast and remain in check by this fungus.
1989: A devastating tornado in July carves a path of destruction from Salisbury to New Haven and topples the Cathedral Pines, a historic grove of white pines in Cornwall.
1991: The CTPA helps to defeat a legislative bill that would create a separate license for personnel who trim trees along utility rights of way.
1992: Oscar P. Stone is awarded the position of Director Emeritus of the CTPA by the Board of Directors.
1992: The CTPA creates the Arbor Day Essay Contest for 5th grade students.
1993-7: The CTPA receives $19,000 in grants to help fund its educational programs and Arbor Day Activities.
1994: A white oak tree is planted at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station to commemorate the establishment of the Oscar P. Stone Research Trust Fund.
1996: The CTPA helps to defeat a proposal to eliminate funding for the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station.
1996: Chris Donnelly is appointed Executive Secretary of the CTPA and assumes the editorial duties as well.
1996: The CTPA establishes the “Arboriculture 101” course to prepare prospective tree workers for the arborist license exam.
1997: The Diamond Anniversary Meeting of the CTPA is held in Plantsville.
1998: CTPA is instrumental in the revision of the [wpfilebase tag=fileurl id=19 linktext=’Arborist Law’ /], that gives administration of the license to the Department of Environmental Protection. It is anticipated that DEP will be much be able to aggressively enforce the licensing provisions, thus doing much to advance the cause of professional tree care. Governor John Rowland signs this bill, which became law on October 1, 1998.
1999: The CTPA is an organization of over 500 members. We advance the care of Connecticut’s trees by providing education,leadership and support for tree care givers.
History 2000-present
2000: A new millennium, and a new opportunity to advance the state of tree care in Connecticut! Membership breaks the 550 mark, and the Association honors one of its best known members, Oscar P. Stone, through a lifetime achievement award.
2001: CTPA begins its 79th year by awarding its first ever Arborist Scholarship, to Ms. Kristeena DiPasquale of Berlin.
2003: Membership now tops 645. CTPA membership remains as diverse as ever, with tree wardens, interested citizens and students continuing to swell its ranks. To continue its good work, CTPA appoints Rita Smith as Executive Director. The Association also declares Mark McClure as an Honorary Member, and establishes Dr. Mark S. McClure Scholarship in his honor.
2004: CTPA holds Arbor Day Ceremony April 30th at the State Capitol. CTPA Safety Committee is established.
2005: First Connecticut Tree Climbing Competition held in Southbury, organized by Greg Lukos and Larry Dvorsky.
2006: CTPA Safety Committee holds its first Electrical Hazard Awareness one-day workshop.
2007: Membership reaches 755. Also, on July 2, Oscar P. Stone passed away – a sad loss for everyone in CTPA and, indeed, associated with tree care workers everywhere.
2008: Attendance at the Annual Meeting sets a new marks at 832 attendees and 59 exhibitor booths filled. Dr. John Ball of South Dakota State University is the keynote speaker. Also, at the meeting, an elm tree, planted the previous fall on the grounds of the Aqua Turf, is dedicated to Oscar Stone.
2009: Membership tops 800 for the first time, reaching 801.
