Thomas MacMillan Photo
Workers clear downed trees after Irene.
Michael Stratton has a legislative idea for protecting New Haven’s trees from a United Illuminating power-line clearing plan that could decimate the city’s arboreal assets.
Stratton, who took office Jan. 1 as the new alder of Ward 19 in the Prospect Hill/Newhallville neighborhood, has filed a proposed ordinance amendment that would give New Haven’s tree warden explicit veto power over tree pruning or removal by the power company.
Stratton’s legislation comes after the New Haven Garden Club warned last month that a new United Illuminating (UI) tree-trimming policy could mean the removal of half the city’s trees. The policy comes amid a broader debate about how to adapt to climate change.
UI has said that its new tree-trimming policy is designed in response to a recent increase in power outages during storms, mainly caused by trees hitting electrical lines. The policy creates an eight-foot protection zone on either side of electrical wires, from ground to sky, in which UI would remove vegetation. Click here to read the plan.
The policy includes an exception for small, ornamental trees, and requires in-person removal notification of abutting property owners, who would have a chance to file an objection with the tree warden. New Haven’s tree warden is deputy parks chief Christy Hass.
Stratton’s legislation would explicitly prohibit any tree pruning based on an 8‑foot-wide pruning corridor, and would require power companies to obtain written permission from New Haven’s tree warden before any work. Click here to read the proposed legislation.
“This proposed ordinance would limit UI’s ability to execute on the vegetation management plan we created in collaboration with the state, municipal partners and community organizations. That could have a negative impact on our ability to provide safe, reliable electrical service during a major storm event in the future,” Joseph Thomas, UI’s vice president for electric system operations.
“UI has in the past and will continue to work with the towns and cities where we operate — as well as tree wardens, legislators, regulators, community groups and property owners — to establish the utility protection zone we need to protect our system and reduce customer outages during major storm events.”
“A Deliberative Process”
“There’s a lot of outrage and fear about what’s going to happen,” Stratton said. “I wanted a piece of legislation in front of the board.”
Stratton based his proposal on the town of Greenwich’s tree policy, which gives its tree warden broad power over power-company pruning.
“The bottom line is what we’re trying to do is slow down the process,” Stratton said. He said he wants to see “a deliberative process regarding each tree that’s going to be cut.”
As it is, UI’s policy offers “very limited notice,” Stratton said. “If nobody says anything, they go and just clear-cut an entire neighborhood.”
The power company is trying to protect people from power outages, Stratton said. The garden club is trying to protect the tree canopy. “We’re trying to have balance. That’s best struck by giving the tree warden more powers.”
Stratton called his proposal a work in progress. “I put in an admittedly hastily drafted ordinance,” he said. “I do think there are some minor tweaks to be made to it.”
UI spokesman Ed Crowder pointed out that the proposed legislation refers to a state law that has since been replaced.
“That’s what I’m talking about,” said Stratton; the proposed law needs some revision.
“A Good Start”
Garden club spokeswoman Mikey Herschoff released this statement about Stratton’s submission: “The Garden Club of New Haven looks forward to reviewing the ordinance proposed by Alder Michael Stratton, which we understand will be amended to reflect recent changes in state law. We hope that the final ordinance, if adopted, will buttress the authority of the the Tree Warden, Christy Hass, to continue to protect New Haven’s beautiful street trees from unnecessary utility pruning and removal, as Alder Stratton’s proposal intends.”
Chris Ozyck, a tree expert with the Urban Resources Initiative, called Stratton’s proposal “a good start” to addressing UI’s policy.
Ozyck said UI’s policy is aggressive, but it also won’t affect New Haven for some time. The policy is now in a pilot phase in Hamden. “No work will begin in New Haven until June, and when it does it will probably be a small amount. The program rolls out over a number of years,” Ozyck said. “We don’t want to vilify UI right off the bat.”
The question is how responsive UI will be to communities and governments, Ozyck said. “They’re sensitive, to make sure ratepayers are happy.”
“I think Mike is trying to be responsive to people in his neighborhood who are very concerned about this,” Ozyck said. “I think the city just needs to have a very strong stance or position that they telegraph to UI so that UI knows when they start to come in here and do assessments and host community meetings that there is an understanding that this is what the city wants.”
“What I figure Mike is trying to do is make sure our tree warden has all the power he or she needs to be able to stand up to UI on behalf of the citizens of the city,” Ozyck said.
“A Resilient Forest”
A giant tree on Grove Street, toppled by Sandy.
Ozyck said that UI’s aggressive tree trimming plan might be an overreaction, given the natural adaptation that forests can make to changes in weather.
Connecticut had about 30 years without a powerful hurricane, which meant that an accumulation of dead branches had developed. Then Irene, Sandy, and Nemo hit in rapid succession. Ozyck said the tree damage from those storms diminished with each one, as more dead wood was cleared out. “The first storm took out everything that had just been waiting.”
In places like North Carolina, which see hurricanes much more often, the storms’ impact on forest is much less. As New England sees more powerful storms more often, the forest will adapt.
“Trees get pruned by mother nature,” Ozyck said. “We have sort of a resilient forest now after it’s been tested. I personally feel like we have time. We don’t need to have this hysteria to remove trees.”
UI also needs to recognize the difference between urban, suburban, and rural trees, Ozyck said. City trees are more precious than those in rural areas, and their removal can make a bigger difference.
“Trees are part of the New England experience but also the Connecticut experience,” Ozyck said. “It’s just part of who we are.”