Save The Trees…Seriously.

Are local politics causing Berkeley Heights to go under Water?

-John Leo Jr.

Our town faces losing over 200 trees with a single five acre development project and your elected officials allow it to happen.

In October of last year, I penned an article about the significance of a decaying township tree canopy.  Many residents are beginning to make the connection between tree canopy loss and flooding. But what was left out was just how much local politics plays a significant role in allowing developers to leverage an ineffective tree ordinance from 1976.

Our town is severely behind on updating the tools that contractors, inspectors and townships have to use in order to protect private property from exacerbated flooding. For example, the Natural Resources Inventory, a sort of environmental addendum to the Master Plan, provides the environmental direction for us, and is also outdated from 2010. The Environmental Commission is beginning to consider grants to fund its update.

Developers often find it more convenient and cost-effective to clear cut trees en masse when building. This is decimating our tree canopy and exacerbating already terrible drainage issues in town. A new tree ordinance had this kind of clearcutting abuse square in its sights but these improvements have been sat on for over a year by councilmen Jeff Vernarin and Manuel Couto. Both of them were the council representatives who wanted to be involved in the update. They had gripes but no formidable recommendations.  

When updating the public on his committee reports, Vernarin claimed that increased expenses were inappropriate in a time where inflation was crushing for residents. What he failed to do is provide any alternative which, I can say, there are many.

A tree ordinance should promote compliance not avoidance. It needs to be easy to obtain a permit and cheap to do.  I’m suggesting to our Environmental Commission that we create a progressive fee structure that identifies residents removing trees for emergency instances, planning to replace and care for new trees or are making other environmentally sound decisions that offset the benefits created by a mature tree. The ordinance also needs to fairly identify developers who might clear cut properties and incentivize them to protect trees on property. Developers should also be required to escrow money for trees they fail to protect and pay up if the tree dies. (Summit does this). Penalties should be designed to capture only those who deliberately destroy trees which may adversely affect neighbors, not residents simply attempting to responsibly manage their own property.

Being behind on these tools incentivizes developers to come to our town, clear out trees and do it at a discount. This ordinance is actually one excellent opportunity to fairly manage development with existing tools.  The tools just need to be updated.

Please email your council reps and demand they update the tree ordinance. Ask them to hold developers accountable for clear cutting lots while providing for residents to have a cheap and easy process for replacing trees. Two councilmen particularly standing in the way are [email protected] and [email protected]. 

Related Content:

BHCW BOOK OF REVELATIONS: WESTMINSTER CHURCH, DISAPPEARANCE OF TREES AND INCREASED FLOODING