It Speaks For Montclair's Trees

To quote the Lorax: “It speaks for the trees.”

That’s the function of Montclair’s new Community Forestry Management Plan (CFMP), according to the Montclair Environmental Commission (MEC).

In late June, the New Jersey State Forestry Service gave its official approval of Montclair’s CFMP, a set of municipal guidelines that provide for the care and management of the town’s treescape.

• See the full text of Montclair’s Community Forestry Management Plan here

“The township adopted a management plan after finding its community forest significantly reduced by recent weather-related disasters, such as the Halloween Snowstorm of 2011 and Hurricane Sandy in 2012,” the MEC stated in a release.

“The established urban forest is important to Montclair’s identity and environmental health. The township designed the CFMP to preserve the natural beauty of its tree canopy, which requires both planting replacement trees and caring for existing trees, while reducing tree hazards, and to perform such tasks proactively rather than reactively.”

In addition, Montclair’s CFMP will allow the town to:

• Apply for grants, such as Community Stewardship Incentive Program (CSIP), which can be used to pay for a portion of the cost of the inventory
• Apply for certification as a “Tree City, USA,” which in turn allows access to other grants for planting and tree care
• Secure points towards silver status under the Sustainable Jersey program

Send Montclair news tips, photos and press releases to eric.kiefer@patch.com