This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Tree Preservation
and Protection Law of the Village of Hewlett Neck."
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 Hewlett Neck 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, 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. The purpose of
this chapter is to strike a balance between property protection and
personal safety concerns and prevention of the indiscriminate destruction
or removal of trees within the boundaries of the Village and to provide
for the replacement of trees that may be destroyed or removed.