NORWAY – The town is testing to see whether winter salt use has damaged several trees on Brackett Road. The move is in response to a complaint by resident Phil Lejonhud.

Lejonhud’s grievance appeared as a letter to the editor in the Oct. 21 edition of the Advertiser Democrat. He said 30 trees in the road’s right of way may have died due to heavy doses of salt.

Town Manger David Holt mentioned the letter to the Norway Board of Selectmen on Thursday and advised of his intention to investigate.

“We’ve taken some samples and we’re going to have it analyzed by the soil and water people,” he said, speaking of the Maine Soil and Water Conservation District.

If the salt is found to be the culprit, Holt said, the town will check to see if the problem of salt-stricken trees goes beyond Brackett Road.

If it’s not the culprit, at least that fact will be known, he said. “Once people say that that’s true, then it becomes true in everyone’s mind.”

Selectman Bob Walker asked whether the problem might be related to drainage on the property, and Selectman Russ Newcomb commented, “That’s not a road that we put a lot of salt on.”

The board recessed early Thursday in order to attend a forum on the Palesky tax-cap initiative.