October 30, 2024 Planning Board Special Meeting Transcript - WEHI

3 of 80 sheets Page 9 to 12 of 203 11/06/2024 03:21:43 PM 9 canopy has been fairly consistent for a long number of1 years.2 In 2019 we were commissioned to perform a tree3 analysis using a quadro analysis and site analysis to4 determine the impact of the development on the tree5 structure and more importantly to determine what the6 condition of the forest was at that time. To get -- to7 accomplish this I hired Davey's Environmental, which was8 formally known as Amy S. Greene Environmental -- sorry9 let me correct that. In 2019 it was still Amy S. Greene10 Environmental, she has since sold the company to Davey's11 Environmental, my apologies.12 The analysis was performed in order to analyze,13 as I said, species of trees, the density, the types and14 their condition.15 Now, in this we did an analysis, or I should say16 Amy S. Greene did the analysis that I reviewed and it17 uses a basic statistical analysis for forests and we18 estimated a range of trees per acre. In order to be19 conservative, meaning to the greatest degree possible,20 say there are the most trees being removed when in fact21 there may be less, we used the highest density of trees,22 which is 212 trees per acre. In fact there was a range23 of trees, it could go as low as 64 per acre but because24 we were trying to demonstrate the most potential impact25 10 we went to the higher number. That would mean on the1 entire 120 acres we estimate, and understand that a2 forest analysis is not a tree by tree count, it is a3 statistical overview of that forest. So we estimate4 25,440 trees. Notice I put plus or minus, very similar5 to when you look at a survey you will see acreage as6 plus or minus. There might be more there might be less.7 What is important in that study, more important8 than the number in my opinion, is the very lack of trees9 less than four inches in diameter. A tree survey, a10 tree is by definition something greater than four inches11 in diameter, a woody plant and it is measured at what is12 called DBH or diameter breast height, which is four and13 a half feet aboveground. When you don't see any large14 number of trees below four inches that is an indication15 of something you have to look at in greater detail16 because it is saying there are no seedlings to replace17 the older trees in the forests where there appears to be18 a lack thereof. You can see that we have some

ou have to look at in greater detail16 because it is saying there are no seedlings to replace17 the older trees in the forests where there appears to be18 a lack thereof. You can see that we have some fairly19 large trees, 20 inches, 24, 28 and etc. But very few20 young trees. When you get to the four inch part you see21 a fair number of trees. When a tree is four inches in22 diameter it is generally tall enough to avoid deer23 browse. The basic finding of that study is that the24 forest is unhealthy because there is a distinct lack of25 11 diversity of plants. The trees are mostly older. There1 are virtually no seedlings or young saplings and the2 understory is virtually denuded in the forest with the3 exception of invasive plants. There are a number of4 barberry, if you walk -- if you walk through the site5 you will see Japanese barberry common especially in the6 wetland area. Japanese barberry is a plant that many of7 us have in our yards throughout West Orange and they8 migrate into this forest. Deer do not eat them. They9 are invasive, they crowd out native plants and they have10 almost zero wildlife value, but you see a lot of them.11 They're also very heavily thorned, so it's difficult to12 deal with them.13 An example on this slide shows you the actual14 site. Notice here as you look in this forest, forget15 the chair, but notice as you look at the forest that you16 can see without any impediment all the way through the17 forest. This is not what a forest is supposed to look18 like. A healthy forest does not look that way.19 This is an example of a study done of another20 site. Again, same problem. I can see through the21 forest. Here I've got some sunrise and -- I'm sorry.22 Sunshine. So I have some light undergrowth. You will23 see this also in this site, all though I don't have24 images of it, and that grass that we typically see on25 12 the property is Japanese stiltgrass, another invasive1 species. Has almost no wildlife value and is in fact2 highly invasive.3 A healthier forest looks more like this. Lots of4 undergrowth. Lots of young trees. Variety. This was5 taken in an area in New Jersey. Just so you know, this6 is an actual forest in New Jersey that I went to see the7 difference. The fundamental difference in these two8 slides is that this particular forest has fewer deer per9 acre, and therefore the plants have a chance to grow.10 So what

y that I went to see the7 difference. The fundamental difference in these two8 slides is that this particular forest has fewer deer per9 acre, and therefore the plants have a chance to grow.10 So what did we come across. Well, what we've11 done is we suggested as part of this that we look at, in12 the negotiations, back in I would say 2018, 2019 is my13 recollection, we made a recommendation to say, how do we14 protect the greatest amount of forest and how do we get15 the forest to regenerate. If we leave the forest as is,16 without any fencing, it will stay as it is today. Might17 these trees last another 100 years, they might. All18 though I will tell you, in my last inspection, which was19 probably June or July, we did notice that we had beech20 leaf disease invading the large beech trees. This is a21 new disease coming into the northeast that we don't know22 the cause of. We do know that within five to ten years23 it will kill every beech tree and most of the trees that24 I had observed were infected. You can tell the25