_ Shade Tree Commission

River Edge Shade Tree
The River Edge Shade Tree Commission is made up of citizen volunteers who are residents appointed by the Mayor. Since our Shade Tree group is strictly volunteer, our compensation is in seeing the results of our work in the tree-lined streets of River Edge. We enjoy going out to meet and educate residents about trees. Yearly plantings are continued in order to replace trees that have been lost over the years and we work in conjunction with the town's DPW to maintain the health of the town's trees. The Commission members have completed CORE training through the NJ Community forestry program and, along with DPW workers, maintain continuing education through state programs yearly to keep informed on tree issues and training.

River Edge has been named a Tree City USA yearly since 2000 and Growth Awards since 2004 for the excellence and dedication shown in its street-tree program. This is a nationally recognized program. In 2005, the NJ Shade Tree Federation presented the Shade Tree Commission members with it's annual
Green Communities Award.

Established by ord. #1447
(see ord. for liaisons appts)

All second appointments shall be for the term of 5 years.

Commissioners
Liz Stewart, chair Jennifer Dougherty Margot Pohl Henry Semmler Chalres Amorese Jim Bieber, Alt #1 Kimberly Bryant-Smith, Alt #2	( 1/1/09 to 12/31/13 ) ( 1/1/08 to 12/31/12 ) ( 1/1/07 to 12/31/09 ) ( to 12/31/10 ) ( 1/1/05 to 12/31/09 ) ( 7/5/05 to 12/31/09 ) (5/15/06 to 12/31/09 )

Contact Us
River Edge Shade Tree Commission
705 Kinderkamack Rd.
River Edge NJ 07661
201-599-6293 (see "requests" below before calling)

Requests
Request for tree maintenance, removal or planting should be directed in writing to the River Edge Shade Tree Commission. Emergencies should be directed to the DPW. Privately hired landscapers by residents are not permitted to work on town trees. Tree pruning to remove lower branches and dead wood from younger trees is done by our trained volunteers during the winter months.

Tree Pruning Permit: This permit is for utility companies only who are doing line clearing around the wires of town trees. The permit must be submitted 3 working days before work is to commence. There is no cost for this permit. ( Download permit here )

Tree Removal Permit: This permit is for contractors or residents doing construction on their property where a town tree is concerned. We ask that you plan ahead before construction for location of driveways and other factors that may interfere with a healthy town tree. Please remember to protect trees during construction. Do not use this form for other tree evaluation requests. There is no fee for this permit. ( Download permit here )

Meetings
The third Thursday of each month (except July and August - check the 'Current Events Calendar') at 11:00am. Please contact the Shade Tree ahead if you plan to attend a meeting.

Planting
Resources permitting, street tree planting typically occurs during the month of November each year. Locations receiving a tree will be notified by mail. Residents still waiting for a tree will be put on next year's planting list. Gas and water lines will be marked out beforehand. All trees have been picked at the nursery by us and plantings are supervised by the commission.
Residents must have approval by the Shade Tree Commission before proceeding with plantings within the Borough's right of way. The Mayor and Council have created a list of approved trees and guidelines in coordination with the Shade Tree Commission.

Stumps
Stump removal is done every year by an outside contractor hired by the town. Topsoil and re-seeding are done after the stump is removed. Residents may remove stumps curbside at their own expense, but must call ONE CALL before hand to mark out utility lines. ONE CALL: 800-272-1000.

Damage to Trees
Residents are not to place signs or other decorations on street trees. Weed-Whacker and lawn mower damage are the biggest killers of our town's trees. During home improvements/construction, the residents and contractors are asked to take protective precautions and to be respectful of the town's street trees. Trees should be protected from machine damage to the limbs and bark while soil around the base of the tree should not be continually driven over, becoming compacted. Contact the Shade Tree Commission for further guidance.

Youth Groups
Youth groups looking for projects in town may contact us for spring mulching and other summer/fall tree projects. Arbor day is celebrated the last week of April every year in NJ. The Shade Tree Commission works along with the Women's Club of River Edge and the elementary schools to celebrate this day.

Tree Time
The River Edge Public Library has received a grant through the NJ Shade Tree Federation and has set up a children's "Tree-mendous" story time. Books on trees were obtained through the grant and may be found in the children's section. Contact the children's librarian for more details.

Tree walk and arboretum
A tree-walk arboretum located adjacent to the library parking lot is a work in progress by the Shade Tree Commission. Started in 1996, trees planted there have been labeled with plaques describing the type of tree and in some cases, the year planted. The first and second phases of the walkway have been completed enabling residents to stroll through the arboretum and enjoy the trees. Please contact the commission if you would like to donate a tree plaque to the arboretum. Check 'Current Events Calendar' for tree education walks held at the arboretum.

Tree Survey
A town wide tree survey has been completed to identify all of River Edge's street trees. We now have information about the type, size, and condition of each street tree. Results have been put into a computer data system which is maintained by us in order to give more detailed and organized information about our tree population.

Links

NJ Community Forestry Program

http://www.State.NJ.US/dep/parksandforests/forest/community

NJ Shade Tree Federation

http://njstf.org

NJ Society of Certified Tree Experts

http://TreeExpertSociety.org/about.php

Arbor Day Foundation

http://ArborDay.org

Basic Tree Care

Protecting your Trees: The bark of a tree is its defense against insects and disease. If the bark becomes damaged, the tree becomes open to disease and infection. Food and water is delivered through the tree directly under its bark, so when damage is done by Weed-Whackers, lawnmowers, car doors, staples or strings that are tied around a tree food and water cannot flow and the tree will die.

Mulch Wisely: Mulching trees properly is the most important step you can take in caring for your trees. Using mulch improperly, however can cause damage to a tree.
Mulch should be 2-3 inches from the tree trunk and 2-3 inches high, creating a "doughnut" ring around the tree base.
If mulch is placed against the tree bark then disease, rot, unhealthy root growth, and rodent or insect injury may result. If less mulch is applied, weeds will grow and if more mulch is applied, shallow root hairs are encouraged making the tree more susceptible to drought and temperature extremes. Newer trees in town have been fitted with a plastic arborguard to help in preventing damage to bark.

Water a Tree: During dry periods, you should water trees slowly and deeply once a week. Shallow watering is not good for any trees. Do not water if there has been a heavy rainfall within a week since trees can drown from too much water. Make sure the soil/mulch is cultivated in tree pits (see "mulch wisely") so the tree can absorb the water. An old tree in an urban area may need up to fifteen gallons of water a week during dry times. Newly planted trees in town will receive a green water bag during the summer months to help them become established. Residents are encouraged to fill the bag once a week by fitting a garden hose in the slit on the top/side of the bag located under the manufacturer's name-tag.