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The roots of the trees hold onto soil thus reducing soil erosion. Trees absorb water and help it penetrate the ground through the roots. The branches and leaves of trees intercept rainfall, slowing its descent and reducing its force, thus reducing erosion. Because trees can mitigate the amount of runoff from a property, they help ensure less and cleaner water enter our waterways, reducing water quality issues and flooding. There are useful calculators that help quantify these benefits, like the Arbor Day Foundation's National Tree Benefit Calculator (https://www.arborday.org/calculator/). The reason to reduce flooding is obvious – flooding impacts all of us, costing lives, damage to property, longer commutes, lost income due to business closure, etc. How about water quality? NJ's waters need help. According to the most recent assessment of New Jersey's water bodies, only 20 percent of the monitored waters are healthy enough for aquatic life, only 28 percent meet the standards for water supply and only 25 percent meet the standards for primary contact recreation. The federal Clean Water Act required NJ to restore its waters to achieve standards by 1983, and the State also set a goal of improving and restoring water quality in its Water Pollution Control Act. Tree ordinances help protect water quality A significant cause of our water pollution is how we manage our land. Development Cherry Hill enacts tough but fair tree ordinance By Hana Katz, ANJEC Policy and Project Manager In June 2022, the Cherry Hill Council voted unanimously to adopt a new tree ordinance. It has been crafted to reflect the Township’s dedication to maintaining its tree canopy and exceeding the requirements of the DEP’s tree ordinance. So, what makes this ordinance work for this growing city? I interviewed Cherry Hill's Municipal Attorney and Director of Law Cosmas Diamantis to find out. Here’s what I got from our insightful conversation. Besides thoughtful policy planning, a good tree ordinance can be created and implemented based on the pillars of community, education and enforcement. American Forests, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting and restoring healthy forest ecosystems, gave Cherry Hill a Tree Equity Score of 87/100 prior to the implementation of the tree ordinance, and 91/100 SUSTAINABLY PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER afterwards, which is based on ideal canopy and tree

gave Cherry Hill a Tree Equity Score of 87/100 prior to the implementation of the tree ordinance, and 91/100 SUSTAINABLY PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER afterwards, which is based on ideal canopy and tree amount. Cherry Hill's tree ordinance requires a permit for every tree removal, which is granted after municipal inspection. This process ensures that any removal on private or public property is justifiable, balancing development needs with environmental stewardship. The Township’s departments and Mayor David Fleisher work together proactively to uphold this ordinance, with administration, communications, public works, engineering and zoning all collaborating. The municipality educates the public and businesses, including approximately 150 tree companies, about the ordinance, ensuring they understand the regulations and consequences of noncompliance. They do this through multiple communication channels, updating the website regularly, ANJEC REPORT – Autumn 2024 15