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

17 of 48 sheets Page 65 to 68 of 116 05/12/2025 02:23:28 PM 65 MR. KLEIN: Okay.1 And then you talked about the alien species,2 the weeds. They're bad, always bad?3 THE WITNESS: Good and bad. Good and bad4 aren't good words.5 MR. KLEIN: Beneficial and not beneficial?6 THE WITNESS: Alien species are almost never7 beneficial. Now, that's not a hard and fast rule, we8 have Russian olive growing up in all our farm fields in9 northern New Jersey and it's terrible, it makes10 monocultures, it doesn't let any other species in but11 hummingbirds because they feed on the flowers when they12 get here. You know, they just got here last week and13 they're feeding on the flowers. So it's good for one14 little thing but by enlarge it's, it's stopping hundreds15 of species, moths, butterflies food chain. There are no16 insects eating the leaves and so there's no food chain.17 That's one of the reasons that critters disappear is18 that in the edge you have all these alien species and19 they don't have any insects living on them so their food20 chain is gone.21 MR. KLEIN: That's it.22 Thank you.23 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: Thank you. Thank you very24 much.25 66 MR. PLOCKER: I have one question.1 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: Mr. Plocker.2 MR. PLOCKER: Mr. DeVito, and I'll qualify3 my question, because I appreciate you did qualify before4 that you are not a professional engineer, but you did5 give some general testimony about storm -- storms and6 water. Not being an engineer, is it fair to say that in7 your testimony you did not consider the stormwater8 design plan that's a part of this application, which has9 already been approved by the DEP?10 THE WITNESS: No, I didn't do that. All I11 did was talk about, I mean I've done a million soil12 picks and talking about whether or not soils can absorb13 water when they're wet, when they're dry, you know, in14 the forest. I'm not talking about their engineering15 plans.16 MR. PLOCKER: Okay. Thank you.17 MR. AFRAN: And is it fair to say what you18 discussed, in terms of dry soil, water runoff and19 flooding, etc., is within the scope of your expertise as20 a forester and forest recovery?21 THE WITNESS: Yes.22 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: Okay.23 Thank you, Dr. DeVito.24 MR. FAGAN: Mr. Chairman, I'd like to say25 67 several people in the zoom audience raised their hand1 and I would like to make an announcement that we are not2 entertaining public comment from the zoom

MR. FAGAN: Mr. Chairman, I'd like to say25 67 several people in the zoom audience raised their hand1 and I would like to make an announcement that we are not2 entertaining public comment from the zoom audience.3 Thank you.4 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: Mr. Afran, we're going to5 take a five-minute break.6 (Whereupon, a short recess is taken.)7 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: Thank you. Welcome back8 ladies and gentlemen on zoom, members of the audience.9 Mr. Afran, you have the floor, sir.10 MR. AFRAN: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.11 Our next witness and the only other witness12 for this evening is Professor Luke Butler from the13 College of New Jersey and he's going to speak to, he is14 an expert in -- he's an avian zoologist and an avian15 biologist who focuses on the physiological and16 biological aspects of avian life, particularly with17 respect to the effects of human disturbance. So he is18 going to speak to these issues and so I can now call Dr.19 Butler.20 MS. MCGOVERN: What's the first name?21 MR. AFRAN: Luke, L-U-K-E. Butler.22 MS. MCGOVERN: Okay.23 Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth the24 whole truth nothing but the truth.25 68 THE WITNESS: I do.1 MS. MCGOVERN: State you name and spell it,2 please.3 THE WITNESS: Luke, L-U-K-E. Butler,4 B-U-T-L-E-R.5 L U K E B U T L E R, having been duly sworn6 under oath according to law testifies as follows:7 Thank you.8 Q. I understand you're a PhD in zoology?9 Yes. From the University of Washington in10 A. Seattle.11 And when you did get your PhD?12 Q. 2005.13 A. And you're presently on the faculty of The14 Q. College of New Jersey, is that correct?15 Correct. The department of biology.16 A. And how would you describe the area of expertise17 Q. that you're bringing to this meeting tonight?18 So I'm called what's called an avian biologist19 A. and I have specific expertise in avian life history,20 which is different stages of life that birds exhibit at21 different times of the year and in particular the22 behavior and physiology of birds in particular, you23 know, more particular I've conducted multiple studies on24 the human disturbance on bird behavior.25