Letter: GRPS Doesn't Have to Remove Trees

[Editor's note: The following letter was sent by the chairs of the Glen Rock Environmental Commission and Glen Rock Shade Tree Committee, who have objected to the school district's stance that for the district to reconstruct the track.]

The Glen Rock Shade Tree Advisory Committee and Glen Rock Environmental Commission have reviewed the Glen Rock High School Athletic Field Drainage Plan which proposes to remove at least seven trees, specifically the five mature oaks in the track area. The Shade Tree Advisory Committee along with the Glen Rock Environmental Commission have submitted reports outlining why alternatives should be found to avoid the removal of these five trees.

Data shows that mature oak trees of this size soak up from 30-40,000 gallons of water per year per tree by three methods - interception, infiltration, and evapotranspiration. That's at a minimum 150,000 gallons of water per year!
These trees also cleanse pollutants from the air. New Jersey -- and Bergen County in particular -- has some of the poorest air quality in the nation.  Children and teens are most susceptible to the harmful effects of pollutants such as ozone, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide and other chemicals which, unfortunately, exceed Federal Clean Air Standards in Glen Rock. These trees absorb a great deal of Nitrogen Dioxide, one of the biggest offenders in our community.

Our trees are multi-tasking. They retain water as well as cleanse our air. Mature trees have many more benefits than young newly-planted trees. To replace the benefits of these five mature trees, the Board of Education would need to plant 183 young shade trees.  

Glen Rock needs modern, well-maintained fields, but we also need to keep our children healthy -- with cleaner air, with shade to protect them, with trees that can cool the air by up to 20 degrees, and by preserving a natural system already working hard to stem  flooding.

The Environmental Commission and Shade Tree Advisory Committee would like to work with the BOE to come up with alternatives to the removal of these mature Oaks, including some proposals suggested by a certified arborist.  
The BOE Engineer insists that the trees MUST be removed.  However, a certified arborist has toured the facility and believes that the trees can be retained.  We plan to present these findings to the BOE so that they can hear from an expert on trees, not from an engineer.

We encourage the BOE to work with us to find a win-win-win solution, a solution that results in 1 ) improved athletic facilities for students, 2) keeping the trees which clean our air and water, and 3) flood control for the neighbors who live adjacent to the school property.  That’s TRUE sustainability – finding solutions which provide social benefit (excellent education) environmental benefits (clean air and water) and economic benefits (maintaining property values).

Leslie Kameny, Chair
Glen Rock Shade Tree Advisory Committee
Cindy Mehallow, Chair 
Glen Rock Environmental Commission