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Opinion: Trees and Flooding

Mamaroneck Observer

by Cindy Goldstein -

 

Who doesn’t love trees?  They give us shade from summer sun, convert carbon dioxide into oxygen, and provide habitat for creatures. Plus, they’re beautiful.  But we take them for granted sometimes – especially if we don’t understand the many benefits of preserving them.

 

With more than a decade as a volunteer on two Mamaroneck Village land use boards I can attest to how much time is spent reviewing applications for proper stormwater management.  Applicants must comply with the various (and complicated for the lay person) laws to deal with stormwater on their properties.  But even after the scrutiny an application receives, and they comply with the requirements to mitigate the impacts of stormwater, many properties (and their neighbors) still flood.  And since we’re at the bottom of three watersheds it is an even bigger problem when upstream developments contribute to the amount of water flowing down to us.

 

The role of trees in dealing with water quality and water quantity is well established.  Trees slow down storm water runoff which reduces erosion that can pollute our waterways.  They also absorb large amounts of water during heavy rains, retaining it and then releasing it.  But evaluating the contribution of trees isn’t any part of the application review process when someone wants to build or renovate their property.  

 

In 2020 the Village, acknowledging the wide-ranging benefits of trees, adopted the Tree Law (Code Section 318) to codify the importance of trees in our community.  One requirement of the law is to replace trees (of certain sizes) that are removed from a property with new but generally smaller trees of specific sizes. 

 

There is no requirement in the law to evaluate the stormwater management benefits that mature trees provide.  It stands to reason that removing a 50 foot oak tree and planting three saplings in its place could result in potential flooding that is not evaluated in any stormwater management review. 

 

In a community that is frequently and severely impacted by flooding, it’s long overdue to consider the benefits of trees in any stormwater management plan and compensate accordingly.  Perhaps we could urge our upstream neighbors to do the same.

 

The author served on the Village of Mamaroneck Planning Board for 5 years and Chaired the Harbor Coastal Management Commission for 6 years.



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