To the Editor:

As I drive through my neighborhood, I am stunned by the excessive tree removal that has occurred. Many sections of Castle Hill, Plumtrees Road and Great Hill have been clear-cut, leaving expansive spaces. Several hundred trees have been removed not only from the “utility protection zone” (UPZ) but also in some areas 30 or more feet back from the edge of the road. The UPZ is defined as “a rectangular area that extends horizontally for eight feet on either side of an electrical conductor or wire installed on a utility pole, and vertically from the ground to the sky.” Trees beyond the “zone” have been cut down leaving the tree trunks at various heights and wide-open spaces.

Removal of these trees has devastated the habitat for birds, insects and small mammals that once thrived among the maples, oaks and cedars that lined our streets. The owls and woodpeckers that lived in the hollow spaces of their trunks must now seek refuge elsewhere; squirrels and blue-jays who hid their acorns and seeds among the branch crevices have lost their winter food supply.

I believe that many homeowners’ privacy has been compromised and the valuation of their property has been negatively impacted. With the removal of these vital trees the increased light exposure will invite invasive plants to take their place. The newly exposed areas will need to be maintained with power tools and lawn mowers, further negatively impacting our environment.

Trees provide approximately 35 percent of the oxygen used by Earth’s inhabitants by consuming CO2 from the atmosphere through the process of photosynthesis. One large tree can provide daily oxygen for four people. Additionally, they assist with flood control, fresh water purification, soil stabilization and cooling the planet. Trees are critical to aid in the defense against global warming.

According to the Eversource website, the intent of the “Vegetation Management Program” is to provide reliable service, stating, “We will only trim or remove those branches and trees, including hazard trees, that threaten to interfere with power lines and equipment, and that would cause power outages or risks to public safety.” As a homeowner you have a right to know what will occur on your private property.

Eversource should notify you if they intend on removing or trimming any trees on your property. Have a conversation with the supervisor before they begin.

To say I am upset by this initiative would be an understatement. So far, the removal of the trees in my area runs straight from the Meeting House on Main Street to the Bethel line. Did it have to go this far? In my opinion, this is not tree trimming, this is excessive destruction of a beautiful area of our town.

What is going to happen on your street or in your Newtown neighborhood? As for me I am already thinking about how many more trees I can plant on my property in the spring.

Joan Cominski

Newtown