November 13, 2024 Planning Board Special Meeting Transcript - WEHI

77 1 forested area, typically developed by grasslands or 2 non-trees. The best way would be to show you a 3 picture, I presume. Let me go forward here. Sorry, I 4 don’t remember where all the pictures are. 5 All right. So, if you look in this image, 6 for example, now this is showing you what a protected 7 area and unprotected area would look like and by the 8 way, it goes to an earlier question, there is a growth 9 and forest after nine years, this area right here would 10 effectively be what you would call an edge zone. It’s 11 an edge between a forest and an unforested area. 12 Q Now, you can also create edge zones 13 artificially by clear cutting 27 acres in the interior 14 of a forest, isn’t that correct? 15 A You create an edge zone by creating anywhere where 16 there’s a forested area meeting an unforested area. 17 West Essex, sorry, the development below is an edge 18 zone all along this developed area, where all these 19 homes are is an edge zone. All these homes preexist as 20 an edge zone. This is an edge zone. 21 Q Now, when you create the area of disturbance 22 in the center of SP-11 along with the roads that 23 connect, have you calculated how many feet or miles of 24 edge zone are being created in the interior of this 25 forest? 78 1 A No. 2 Q Why not? 3 A Unnecessary for the purposes that I was retained. 4 Q Well, what were those purposes in your 5 understanding? 6 A To develop this site in the best way possible for 7 the environment. 8 Q And don’t you think that examining how much 9 new edge zone is being created in the interior of this 10 forest would be relevant to the health of this 11 environment? 12 A Based on this plan, no. 13 Q Would you agree that edge zones create areas 14 of forest degradation beginning at the point of the 15 edge and going into the interior? 16 A Edge zones inherently are not damaging to the 17 interior of the forest, edge zones are created 18 naturally every time a tree falls or a forested area is 19 damaged, so I wouldn’t necessarily agree with that. I 20 would agree, of course, where there’s disturbance the 21 area of disturbance, the area outside, to give you this 22 context here. You see, you have a road here and as I 23 testified already, certainly when I cut this road I’ve 24 already testified that any trees along the very outside 25 edge here may, in fact, be impacted negatively by that 79 1 because of

and as I 23 testified already, certainly when I cut this road I’ve 24 already testified that any trees along the very outside 25 edge here may, in fact, be impacted negatively by that 79 1 because of their roots being cut. And how far in that 2 would go, it depends on the depth but, most likely, no 3 more than one or two trees in. It’s not going to go 4 very far into the forest. 5 Q Isn’t it a fact that most foresters and 6 people who work in this field believe that an edge zone 7 generally incorporates 300 feet from the edge to the 8 interior? 9 A I couldn’t answer for most foresters. 10 Q Are you familiar with this concept? 11 A I’m familiar with foresters having a concept of 12 buffers and impacts that go beyond the roads that they 13 cut to forest and lodge, sure. But, I have not 14 specifically analyzed it to this particular project. 15 Q Well, wouldn’t it be relevant if edge zones 16 can damage the interior of a forest, to determine how 17 deep the edge will be from the area of disturbance in 18 order to figure out how much forest is going to be 19 left? 20 A No, you’re over simplifying this pretty badly. 21 What this would do, the indication or the implication 22 you’re making is that the developed area is going to 23 somehow have an impact that -- and this is not to 24 scale, I can’t give you the scale, but, is going to 25 negatively kill an entire area out here. There’s no 80 1 presumption for that. The fact is that the developer 2 will have someone on site, retained by the township, to 3 ensure that minimum damage is done to this area, in 4 terms of it expanding out. The area will be gated, 5 fenced -- not gated, I’m sorry, will be fenced off or 6 marked off so that equipment is limited in its impact. 7 Absolutely, there will be an impact. Any 8 time you disturb land you have an impact. There’s no 9 argument about that. 10 Q Are you in a position as a professional or 11 expert to discuss the depth of impact on the 12 surrounding woods as caused by the creation of new 13 edge? 14 A I would not make a comment to that in this, I have 15 not analyzed it. 16 Q And do you have the expertise to provide a 17 professional answer to my question if you had analyzed 18 it? 19 A I would have consulted with my foresters and I 20 would have come up with an answer if I was asked to, 21 but, I don’t need to see this impact. 22 Q Is it fair to say that it’s the

nalyzed 18 it? 19 A I would have consulted with my foresters and I 20 would have come up with an answer if I was asked to, 21 but, I don’t need to see this impact. 22 Q Is it fair to say that it’s the foresters who 23 would have the expertise to answer this question? 24 A Foresters would have expertise in general impact, 25 they don’t necessarily know the specific site, but they