More than two years have passed since Mayor Jeff Martin’s administration announced that Hamilton Township would begin providing free shade trees to township residents, and the program is still going strong.
In fact, Hamilton’s Department of Public Works is still making its way through the township’s 40 square miles, finishing up the first round of plantings at residential curbsides and in township parks.
And as long as residents continue to request their free trees, Hamilton is looking to continue to provide them.
In September 2020, thanks in part to the efforts of the members of the Shade Tree Commission, Hamilton set aside more than $1 million to remove dead and dying trees and plant new ones around the township.
The township says that the program is funded by private developers who pay into an escrow fund when trees are removed from properties under construction and, under the law, can only be used for this sort of purpose. Shade Tree Commission chair Robert C. Poppert says that the township planted 641 trees in 2022, including 416 curbside residential trees and 225 more in parks.
Poppert, who is also the township’s supervising planner, says that Hamilton has actually been providing curbside trees to residents who request them for a while. But he calls the program “enhanced” in recent years.
One reason the program has become more popular is because the township has been mailing residents in the last few years, to let them know that the program exists, how it works and to answer some of questions residents frequently ask.
To handle the higher demand, the township divided plantings into eight areas using its snow zone map. Township employees planted 490 trees in zones A through D in 2021, Poppert says.
This year, the township was only able to finish zones E and F because of a rise in the number of requests. The plan is to send mailers out to residents in zones G and H in 2023, and get those trees planted next fall.
That said, if someone outside zones G and H requests a tree next year, the township will do what it can to fulfill the request.
Every residence is eligible for a free tree — as long as there is a place suitable for planting one. The township first looks to plant trees between curb and sidewalk. If there is no sidewalk, workers will plant the tree in a location that would not interfere with any future sidewalk, should it ever be installed.
On occasion, they have planted trees on the house side of the sidewalk, if the space between curb and sidewalk is too narrow to accommodate a healthy tree. But they will not plant trees farther up into residents’ front yards.
Some frequently asked questions include: Can I get a tree planted in my backyard instead? (No.) Will the tree lift my sidewalk? (No, they take steps to prevent it.) Will the tree interfere with power lines? (No, when power lines are present, the township will plant a species of tree that won’t grow that tall.) What if the tree dies? (Contact the township, they will assess the situation and take necessary action.) Can I request a specific type of tree? (If possible and advisable, yes.)
Shade Tree Commission member Jim Hunter is a New Jersey-licensed tree expert. He says he was the first tree maintenance worker hired by the township, back in 1986. Today, his title is general supervisor of parks and grounds.
When it is time to assess a possible dead shade tree for removal, Hunter is the one Poppert calls. He is also involved in the process of planning new plantings in the township’s many parks — big ones like Veterans Park, Kuser Park and Sayen Gardens, as well as smaller neighborhood parks.
“We identify areas that could use tree plantings. Over the years we have had to remove quite a few trees that have died and created openings that need to be replanted,” Hunter says.
Poppert says out that the shade tree program does more than just beautify the township; there are environmental benefits as well. He said that, using a tool called the Tree Benefit Calculator, he estimates that the 416 residential trees planted this year will intercept 54,000 gallons of stormwater and sequester about 5 tons of carbon per year, and those figures will only grow as the trees do.
The Shade Tree Commission meets at 6:30 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of each month at the Hamilton Township Municipal Building. This month’s meeting is scheduled for Jan. 24. Board members include Poppert, Hunter, township council liaison Nancy Phillips, Clint Griggs, Ed Oravsky and Patrick Nemes, and Hunter says the public is more than welcome. “It would be good to see more input from the town,” he says.
Hamilton Township planted 416 free residential shade trees in 2022. (Facebook photo.),
