April 30, 2025, Planning Board Special Meeting Transcript - WEHI

05/12/2025 02:23:28 PM Page 61 to 64 of 116 16 of 48 sheets 61 susceptible during extreme droughts like we had last1 fall. We had some wildfires in north Jersey recently2 during the extreme droughts. I doubt that, you know,3 this, this forest, the proposed development is not going4 to change whether or not the wildfire risk goes up, you5 know, that much more quickly. The problem here is that6 by having development in the middle of the forest and,7 you know, you can't defend that development from a8 wildfire, right.9 THE PUBLIC: I don't think so.10 THE WITNESS: If a wildfire starts on the11 western end of this forest during the drought, winds are12 blowing 60 miles an hour, like we saw is in the Pine13 Barrens the other day, no fireman in the world can stop14 a wildfire when the winds are blowing fast, but that's,15 that's not going to change. I mean, those folks that16 are on the eastern side of this patch of forest are as17 much at risk now as they will be because if the winds18 blowing strong enough you can't stop a wildfire. That's19 a fallacy to think that people can stop a wildfire. You20 just saw California, they couldn't do anything when the21 winds are blowing strong enough, you can't do anything.22 And that is caused by extreme drought conditions, it's23 not going to be impacted by whether or not there's a24 couple buildings up there.25 62 THE PUBLIC: Okay. Thank you.1 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: Thank you.2 Any other members of the public have any3 questions for Dr. DeVito about his testimony. Please4 stand up.5 MR. AFRAN: I have one follow-up, if I can.6 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: Final question, sir.7 One of the questions the public asked was whether8 Q. there's a canopy on the edge as well as the core and you9 said, you know, any forest has a canopy. But you also10 said earlier the core canopy help create the core11 conditions. Is there a distinction between the canopy12 on the edge and the canopy in the core?13 THE WITNESS: The distinction is that on the14 edge you have sunlight and wind coming in, so the canopy15 is not affected in creating those interior conditions16 because you need that, you need that forest that's17 protected from wind and sunlight to have that high18 humidity and low temperature maintain itself during the19 course of the day. On the edge you lose humidity that20 you accumulated over the night, right. In the morning21 you get up and there's a

igh18 humidity and low temperature maintain itself during the19 course of the day. On the edge you lose humidity that20 you accumulated over the night, right. In the morning21 you get up and there's a dew and it's moist and you're22 on the edge, that evaporates in no time. When you're23 deep in the forest those conditions stay for hours on24 end, you have much more moist conditions. There's less25 63 wind, you know, if you want to cool off in the summer1 you go into the middle of a forest.2 MR. AFRAN: Thank you.3 That's all I have.4 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: Mr. Klein.5 MR. KLEIN: So you said it's 300 feet the6 edge all the way around for this particular --7 THE WITNESS: Yes.8 MR. KLEIN: Can you -- could you have9 surveyed it and actually found the edge? In other10 words, on the shady side it's still 300 feet, on the11 side it's still 300 feet. It's really just 300 feet?12 THE WITNESS: No, if you were to go and look13 at the slope and at that particular spot, you know, you14 could adjust things here or there. But I mean, so some15 places the edge would be a little bit -- you would say16 well, this is going to create an edge even more over17 here and some other place you might say it's going to18 create a little less like on the north side.19 MR. KLEIN: So you're saying it's like an20 average?21 THE WITNESS: It's like an average, yeah.22 MR. KLEIN: You mentioned something about23 logging on this property. Did you say logging on this24 property?25 64 THE WITNESS: The forest is about 120 years1 old, these mountains had no trees on them in the middle2 of the 1800's, everything was cut for firewood. People3 had to cook.4 MR. KLEIN: It was cut but the soil wasn't5 disturbed?6 THE WITNESS: No, cut. Our forest has been7 cut over many times.8 MR. KLEIN: And that doesn't disturb the9 soil?10 THE WITNESS: Not much. They came, they cut11 all the timber, they dragged it off. They were never12 plowed. The soil horizons going down were never13 disturbed.14 MR. KLEIN: When the tree falls and they15 drag a tree that's similar to plowing?16 THE WITNESS: Well, they didn't drag the17 root stumps. They cut the trees and dragged the trees18 and that only touches organic matter at the surface. It19 doesn't turn over the soil. Now, the trees blow over in20 a wind storm and you see, you know, you can see what21 happens and what happens is they move very slowly and22 that impacts the soil

ace. It19 doesn't turn over the soil. Now, the trees blow over in20 a wind storm and you see, you know, you can see what21 happens and what happens is they move very slowly and22 that impacts the soil horizons a little bit over the23 course of centuries, but that's, you know, minute24 compared to the whole area.25