Take few minutes today to show your love for trees in Connecticut. Eric Hammerling, Executive Director of Connecticut Forest & Park Association is looking for your help.
According to Eric, visitors to Connecticut often note the beautiful trees that line our local roads and state highways. It’s undeniable that roadside forests are part of what makes Connecticut lovable.
At the same time, you have probably noticed that significant numbers of trees are being removed along state highway median strips and road edges.
You can show your love for trees on Valentine’s Day by submitting testimony supporting HB 5308, “An Act Concerning Vegetation Management Along State Highways by the Department of Transportation,” which would bring better planning and transparency to future tree removals by the CT Department of Transportation.
There is a public hearing on HB 5308 this Friday (2/15) at 11:00 a.m. in Room 2B of the Legislative Office Building (LOB) before the Environment Committee. Your testimony can make a difference!
H.B. 5308 calls for the CT Department of Transportation (DoT) to do the following:
- Develop guidelines for tree removals along state highways while considering related environmental issues such as invasive species, pollinators, stormwater runoff, and erosion
- Ensure a licensed arborist reviews DoT’s vegetation management guidelines
- Post these guidelines on DoT’s website
- Provide annual reports on the funds spent by DoT on vegetation management.
In your testimony, make sure to include the following:
- Use “Testimony on HB 5308 for Public Hearing (2/15)” in your subject line;
- Address your testimony to Dear Environment Committee;
- Include your name and town where you live;
- Mention that you support the bill because:
Roadside forests help define the character of Connecticut, provide many benefits to communities, and are important to our quality of life; Vegetation management guidelines developed and implemented by arborists are critical to protect roadside forest health. There should be public information readily available online to describe what DoT is doing along highways and how much state funding is paying for that work; [and/or other reasons important to you].
Sample testimony
- Attach your testimony as a PDF document and email to envtestimony@cga.ct.gov with a BCC to ehammerling@ctwoodlands.org
- If you are planning to testify in person, sign-up for the public hearing will happen at 9:00 a.m. on Friday morning in the first floor atrium of the LOB. If you want your testimony to be available to Committee members at that time, submit your testimony before 3:00 p.m. on Valentine’s Day.
If you have any questions, feel free to email Eric anytime, and thanks for your support of CFPA!
