November 13, 2024 Planning Board Special Meeting Transcript - WEHI

25 1 And the hope, of course, over time and what 2 we have seen in studies is that the entire area will 3 start to see regeneration of growth. The goal being, 4 of course, the hope is that the areas here, which will 5 be planted by the developer with native plants, it will 6 be their -- I’m sure will do what they can to protect 7 those plants from excessive browse -- and there are 8 many ways to do that, one of which is a deer repellent 9 that can be applied, which that would be up to them. 10 There’s no mandate that they do so, of course, but that 11 will then seed these areas. 12 So, would I say the whole area should be deer 13 fenced? Probably not feasible, at least in my reviews 14 of it, nor would I say it’s necessary completely 15 because it would be impossible at that point, I think, 16 to keep and not cause problems with neighboring 17 properties. This gives an area that deer can still, if 18 you will, roam and play in that’s open to them while 19 protecting the forest and allow it to regenerate. So 20 this is what you call the best of both worlds as I see 21 it. 22 MR. WEISLEDER: Right. So, in an 23 approximation -- I know it’s not a perfect world 24 because there’s so many different variables, in an 25 approximation, how long would it take before we see a 26 1 difference in the deer fenced area to absorb that 2 additional -- approximately? 3 MR. DeFEO: Based on my observations of other 4 deer fenced areas, you should start seeing new growth 5 within one to three years. Start within the first year 6 of seeing low growth herbs, flowers, that sort of thing 7 -- ferns. 8 Within three years you’ll start seeing the 9 beginning of shrubbery. And then over about nine to 10 ten years, or nine years, this space should virtually 11 be impenetrable from the naked eye to look through. 12 So, I’d say within a year you’ll start to see growth. 13 MR. WEISLEDER: Okay. If you don’t see 14 growth, is there recommendations to help that growth in 15 that area? 16 MR. DeFEO: Well, I don’t have a 17 recommendation, per se, because I’ve never seen an area 18 that’s fenced not show new growth. 19 MR. WEISLEDER: Okay. Thank you. 20 MR. CHAIRPERSON: Thank you. 21 Come right up, sir. 22 MR. COOPER: Yes. Good evening. My name is 23 Randy Cooper. I live in the West Essex Highlands. 24 Thank you for your contribution. I just had one quick 25 question. What would you attribute

p, sir. 22 MR. COOPER: Yes. Good evening. My name is 23 Randy Cooper. I live in the West Essex Highlands. 24 Thank you for your contribution. I just had one quick 25 question. What would you attribute the unhealthy 27 1 environment to that’s in that area? Would you 2 contribute that to the deer or -- what would you say? 3 MR. DeFEO: If you’re asking -- I think your 4 question is why is the forest so unhealthy in my view 5 over its long terms life? It’s mostly over deer 6 browsing. Any study you’ll see -- there are some 7 things posted online you could read if you want to, but 8 you’ll look at almost every one of those studies about 9 forest health in New Jersey in a suburban like hours or 10 ex-urban area, you will see excessive deer browse is a 11 large and massive problem in this area. So I would 12 attribute that to deer browse. 13 MR. COOPER: Okay. So, you could also 14 consider this a healthy environment due to its deer 15 grazing. In other words, when you have deer grazing, 16 you would have this environment, you would expect this 17 environment to be as such. 18 MR. DeFEO: No, it’s not healthy in that 19 regard because when you have a higher population of 20 deer than the forest can carry -- meaning it’s carrying 21 capacity is exceeded, which is in the findings of this 22 area pretty generally true. In fact, in New Jersey in 23 urban areas pretty much generally true, or suburban, 24 some of the studies show as many as 90 to 120 deer per 25 square mile. The carrying capacity of a normal healthy 28 1 forest would be 20 deer per square mile. 2 When you have excessive deer per square mile 3 generally in an area, and we’re not just talking about 4 this 120 acres, but when you have excessive deer 5 density, the deer are unhealthy and it is a sign of 6 unhealth. The herd becomes unhealthy because they do 7 not have enough forage and the forest itself becomes 8 unhealthy because about the only thing left that will 9 grow after excessive browsing, are invasive species 10 which we see an excess in this property, such as 11 barberry. That’s just an example. 12 There are many invasive species but that’s 13 what you will see left because Barberry has virtually 14 no wildlife value and the deer won’t eat that. In 15 fact, I haven’t seen deer eat that virtually at all 16 unless absolutely starving at which point they’re not 17 healthy anyway. 18 MR. COOPER: So, in

wildlife value and the deer won’t eat that. In 15 fact, I haven’t seen deer eat that virtually at all 16 unless absolutely starving at which point they’re not 17 healthy anyway. 18 MR. COOPER: So, in your opinion, you would 19 view this as a area that was over concentrated with 20 deer? 21 MR. DeFEO: All of West Orange and Essex 22 County is over concentrated with deer. 23 MR. COOPER: Okay. Thank you. 24 THE CHAIRPERSON: Mr. Coviat? 25 MR. COVIAT: Good evening. Mr. DeFeo, your