PRINCETON: Tree-cutting ordinance likely

Princeton residents likely will need to pay $25 for a permit from the town before being allowed to cut down trees on their property.

The council was due Monday to adopt a tree protection ordinance mandating residential and commercial property owners meet those and other requirements. In explaining the rationale behind the ordinance, officials said trees are good for the environment and that the protections are necessary given all the trees that have been lost to storms since 2010.

"A 50-year-old tree is very hard to replace," said Councilwoman Jenny Crumiller by phone Friday. She said she expected the council to support the ordinance.

The measure would require anyone to seek a permit to cut down the following: trees with a diameter greater than 8 inches measured at a point 4.5 feet off the ground; ornamental or evergreen trees 10 feet or taller; trees whose canopy extends over a public right-of-way, and specimen or significant trees. Permits would be issued per property, not by per tree.

The former township and borough used to have tree protection ordinances. The town last week said it had issued between 225 and 250 tree removal permits in 2013.

In 2013, the all-volunteer Princeton Shade Commission started working toward producing an ordinance. Part of that included looking at what other communities around the state did and comparing tree protection measures in the old township and borough.

Sharon Ainsworth, the chairwoman of the commission, on Friday listed some of the benefits of trees, such as providing shade, filtering the air and helping with the aesthetics of town.

Enforcement is in the hands of Greg ONeil, assistant director of public works. His job will be to inspect trees to determine whether a permit should be granted. Residents will not have to get a permit to remove a dead or diseased tree. But they would have to get a written confirmation from Mr. ONeil saying that he had inspected the tree or trees and deemed them dead or substantially diseased.

Residents could appeal Mr. ONeils denial of their application either to the Shade Tree Commission or directly to the mayor and council. They would have to file an appeal in writing within 10 days of a denial.

Violators of the ordinance could face a municipal court summons. A judge could order the person to make restitution for the value of the destroyed tree and or replace illegally removed trees.

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PRINCETON: Tree-cutting ordinance likely