EX DD 22 20250112 Ltr to Andy Jane Kessler re Berm and Trees of Heaven

During the past summer, we noticed significant activity from Spotted Lanternflies (SLF) on your property, particularly around several large Trees of Heaven. We eliminated those bugs that migrated on the rear of our property to the best of our ability. These invasive trees are known to attract and support nesting of SLFs and harm native species. According to the Town’s Tree Ordinance, they require removal. West Orange Tree Ordinance We are happy to facilitate access to your property from ours to assist your contractors with this work, provided removal is managed responsibly to avoid relocating active nests to our property or damage to our recently landscaped yard. Please note that our new lawn and additional landscaping is scheduled to be installed by the end of March/beginning of April, closing the window for access from our property. We trust you will understand the urgency and necessity of this matter and look forward to cooperating with you in the spirit of neighborliness. Below are pics I took from our side of the property line showing the swarms of the SLF on the Trees of Heaven located on your property. There are now larvae hibernating on these trees which require specialized handling to ensure they are neutralized and fully removed with the trees. While we are more than happy to allow your tree removal experts access your property from our back yard, the trees and SLF Larvae will need to be felled and brought down the mountain and disposed of from your property and not traversed across our property. We have already spent substantial monies landscaping phase I of our backyard, and the young specimens will be susceptible to new TOH and SLF that would take root if your removal crosses our property. We expect our enhanced stormwater plan to be approved by the Planning Board in January and the installation to begin shortly thereafter with the work to be completed by end of March/early April and a new lawn and additional landscaping to be installed immediately thereafter. Please call us to set up our meeting to review and coordinate this work to assist your compliance with the Township codes and give us a chance to review our Site Plan so that you can understand the work we have undertaken and the additional work we propose. 2024 was a year of strife and we believe major misunderstandings. We are hoping that we can put that behind us and start 2025 with a

and the work we have undertaken and the additional work we propose. 2024 was a year of strife and we believe major misunderstandings. We are hoping that we can put that behind us and start 2025 with a renewed relationship of friendship. Looking forward to hearing from you. Warm regards, Richard Cohn -4-