official bemoans $12K in paperwork to remove tree from creek

http://www.nj.com/hunterdon-county-demo ... ls_be.html

"FRANKLIN TWP. — The state Department of Environmental Protection requires permits and engineering work totaling $12,000 before the township can pull a tree out of a creek near Pittstown, Committeeman Scott Bauman told the Township Committee on Feb. 9.

The offending tree has caused a disruption in the flow of the stream and caused a drainage problem near Stone Barn Road, he said. So the township engineer met with two representatives of the DEP.

It’s a C-1 stream, Bauman said, citing the DEP’s most heavily protected category. The stream is “so protected that DEP wasn’t too keen about just going in there and pulling out the tree.”


View Larger MapGiven the committee’s commitment to thrift and the high price of compliance, Bauman said, “The wild side of me asks: How much are the fines for this?” If it was just $5,000, it might be worth it to “get a bunch of guys with a chain and bring it out.”".............................

What ever the regulators are afraid of is in the creek bed and has been for a long time, I don't understand how it takes $12K of environmental regulation to yank a tree out of a creek. I'm not usually one to step up and say breaking the law is a good thing but in this case the economics of the situation indicate that breaking the law is the cheaper solution.

Should a well trained citizen happen to place a pair of shaped charges at the base of the tree and detonate them in the middle of the night, the rest would be elementary. The town and the county would be obligated to remove the debris. The folks who know how and have access to the right tools travel in smaller circles but I know there are a few people around who could do the job.

:Whistle

otisptoadwater wrote: [ I'm not usually one to step up and say breaking the law is a good thing but in this case the economics of the situation indicate that breaking the law is the cheaper solution.

From the article my impression is that is what they would have done but for fear that the Department of Environmental Protection would have hammered them for even more $ if they had.

Do it secretly at night and blame enviro terrorists?

Cripes how big is this tree and how long has it been in the creek? Did mother nature have a permit when she dropped it in there? If you think getting a permit to remove materials from a flood plain is hard, try getting a permit to add material (rocks weirs, etc).

This is the same in CO. Our local Bear Creek is a Class 1 cold stream and is currently on 2012 303(d) list for impairment. Try doing ANY stream rehab and you have to jump thru the hoops of Army Corp. of Engineers, EPA, State & County Water Quality controllers and any number of local agencies. Getting a group together and doing it yourself is hardly ever an option, even if you can get the property owner to go along with it. But sometimes, if everything goes just right, the controlling agencies may NOT issue fines (but just wait until next time when you actually need a permit for stream rehab, trust me, they will remember) Sometimes good intentions go bad, like trying to pull a tree from a creek and the backhoe tips over and sends gallons of fuel or hydraulic fluid into the creek.

The best way to get action is get publicity, the way this story has. I'd bet it becaomes easier and less costly to remove the tree now that the public is aware.

If you are interested in some local stream rehab, Evergreen Trout Unlimited is putting together a conservation committee to identify areas in the Bear Creek drainage that could benefit form improvement. This includes getting private property owners engaged in improving their property so as to benefit downstream use as well as defining project along public property. We also need folks who are good at raising local awareness and haveexperience getting grant $$ to fund these projects.

PM me if you are interested.