Over 100 Trees Ordered in First Sapling Class, Sale

The Chatham Township Environmental Commission had about 65 people come to its first sapling class sale Saturday.

Mike Kelly of the Environmental Commission said, "We had a great turnout on Saturday." Those who came ordered about 125 trees, Kelly said.

"At this pace the Sapling Sale should be a huge success," Kelly said.

The commission ordered 400 trees for residents to use to replace trees damaged or felled in superstorm Sandy.

There are still two remaining classes at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Monday. Anyone interested in ordering a sapling tree must attend one of the two classes. All meetings will take place at the Chatham Township Municipal Building.

Each sapling costs between $25 and $30, depending on the breed. The commission ordered nine different varieties ideal for different topographies in Chatham.

The commission teamed up with the Morris County Soil Conservation District to buy the saplings wholesale and offer them to residents.

"The intent is to help our local residents not just replace the trees, but also educate them about what trees logically should be planted where, so we don't get the damage to the wires, the damage to the homes, the trees falling on the roads that we all saw after Hurricane Sandy," Kelly said.

Arborists will be present at the meetings to help residents learn how to select the proper tree for their property and how to plant and care for the trees. All trees are about five ft. tall, bare-root saplings that can be managed by residents.

Trees will be distributed in late April. If there are trees left over, residents can come to the distribution sale to buy trees.

Investors Bank provided a grant to help purchase the saplings. The bank has a statewide program to help New Jersey residents recover from Sandy.

Chatham Township has an ordinance which requires at least 16 trees per acre.