About the Cemetery/Shade Tree/Open Space Department
The Cemetery/Shade Tree/Open Space Department is comprised of a Superintendent, one General Foreman, one Principal Clerk, eight full-time Laborers and 3 seasonal Workers and is part of Public Services. Periodically we receive additional Laborers from the Sheriff’s Department.
Some of our responsibilities include but are not limited to the year round maintenance of 5 municipally owned cemeteries. We also maintain all “green space” throughout the Essex Street Mall, Salem Market Place, Riley Plaza, Lappin Park and the Witch Trials Memorials. This department also plants, prunes, maintains and removes all public shade trees as needed. Also, there are numerous parking lots that we clean, sweep and canvas on a regular basis. Our department is also responsible for the regular maintenance of Dalton Parkway, Lafayette Park, St. Anne’s Park, the North Street overpass and many other green areas in the City of Salem.
Items of Interest
Every fourth Friday in April the fifth grade students in Salem’s Public Schools, celebrate Arbor Day with a classroom presentation of the importance of trees in the urban environment and are given a Norway Spruce seedling to plant.
For the past several years Salem has been designated as a “Tree City USA”. This application must be approved and awarded by Tree City and is an honor in recognition of the City’s commitment to a cleaner, safer environment with the aid of its beautiful trees through out the city.
| 
