A Tree Falls in Brooklyn
New York City has laws
governing the removal of street trees. One cannot even prune a tree without a
permit, and only then after taking a course and being certified, hiring a
licensed arborist, or getting City personnel to do the job. A neighbor in
Brooklyn where I have the town house — a self-proclaimed tree hater
–campaigned to have an old oak tree removed from the tree pit in front of his
house. The tree did have a bit of fungus, which feeds on dead wood. It was
possible that the oak might only have had another thirty or forty years. In any
event, the “messy” tree was taken down to the delight of the resident — two
days after he sold the house (above).
Just think about what trees
do for the feeling of a neighborhood, not to mention their positive
environmental effects. The average life span of a New York City street tree is
seven years. Trees over one
hundred years old should be cared for, venerated, and worshipped – whether they
live on streets or in backyards.
Many communities have no
protection whatsoever for trees – especially those growing on private property.
On this week’s radio show and podcast, I interview Corey Kilgannon, a reporter
for the New York Times who wrote an article discussing ordinances for towns in
the metropolitan area. Some towns have no regulations. Others levee fines of
$1500 or more, and even suggest jail sentences for cutting down a “landmark”
tree: a rare species, trees over 150 years old or those with “extraordinary
size or foliage.“ Landmark status may also be accorded trees unique in
“location, historical significance, shade value, fragrance, erosion control,
aesthetic features or scenic enhancement.”
But every new homeowner of an
old house wants to put his or her stamp on a property. If you move into a house
in the winter, wait until spring to see what ‘s growing there. New neighbors
near my New Jersey garden cut down a large deciduous flowering quince, last
week, because it looked like a bramble of thick branches. Well, that plant was
one of our neighborhood’s favorites – Chaenomeles ‘Toyo Nishiki’ (left) with multicolored flowers.
Do you think that communities
should have ordinances governing the removal of trees on private property? Let
me know what you think, kendruserealdirt@yahoo.com.
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