Tree Commission

The Board of Trustees hereby finds that there is a direct relationship between preservation and planting of trees and associated vegetation in sufficient quantity in the Village of Baxter Estates and the health, safety and welfare of Village residents, and that the Village has an obligation to facilitate the stewardship of air, water, land and living resources, and to sustainably protect the environment for the use of this and future generations. Trees and associated vegetation promote natural, scenic, environmental, and aesthetic values, stabilize soil and the hillside, control water pollution by preventing soil erosion and flooding, absorb air pollution, enhance air quality, yield microclimatic effects, offer a natural noise barrier, provide a natural habitat for wildlife, provide shade to Village residents, and create a bucolic atmosphere. The removal and destruction of trees in the Village deprives the Village residents of these benefits, disrupts fundamental ecological systems and adversely affects the health, safety and welfare of the residents of the Village. The Board also recognizes that recent weather events, including wind, snow and rain events, have impacted trees on Long Island greatly and that some members of the public have become more concerned about the safety of trees in relation to property protection and the relationship between trees and the hillside.