65°
Just like President Trump ditched the Paris Accord to control global warming this week, his protégés in Yorktown, Messrs. Grace, Bernard, Diana and Lachterman have been trying to weaken local laws intended to protect the environment. Last year, they repealed a strong Tree Law and replaced it with a weak law that protects fewer trees and wooded areas. They reneged on the Town’s contribution to the Open Space Fund. This year, they tried to gut our Wetlands Law, and only an outpouring of local residents stopped them.
If you care about the environment, it’s time to continue to fight back. If you care about your quality of life, attend the June 20th public hearing on an amendment to the 2016 Tree Law.
With an eye towards the November election, Supervisor Grace has reversed himself: For years, he’s told us that the town doesn’t need to get permits to do work on town owned property. Surprise! Now he’s willing to amend the Tree Law and restore what he cut out in 2016: the requirement that the town get a permit to cut down trees on its 4,000 acres of open space.
While this amendment is a step in the right direction, it’s only a small step. Even with the amendment, the 2016 law doesn’t provide equal protection for our trees and wooded areas that was provided by the 2010 law. The new Tree Law needs to be strengthened.
In April, at the wetlands public hearing, the residents of Yorktown spoke up and the Town Board could not ignore us.
Let’s do this again. This time on June 20th to save our trees.
Melvyn Tanzman
Click here to follow Daily Voice Yorktown and receive free news updates.
