By April Stelle
Concerns about leaves and trees are sprouting in Morris Township.
One resident is pressing for a quieter summer. Another is calling for stronger protections for mature trees.
Those environmental issues dominated public comments at last week’s Township Committee meeting, where advocates urged officials to reconsider how the municipality manages gas-powered leaf blowers and tree removals.
For the seventh consecutive meeting, Environmental Commission member Charlie Schachter promoted the Quiet Summer initiative, which encourages residents to ask landscapers to voluntarily stop using gas-powered leaf blowers from May through September.
Schachter and supporters cited health and environmental concerns associated with the equipment. According to the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, roughly 30 percent of the fuel used by gas-powered leaf blowers goes unburned, releasing pollutants directly into the atmosphere. Schachter noted that operating a gas leaf blower for one hour can generate emissions comparable to driving a car about 1,100 miles.
He urged the Township to pursue a $10,000 Sustainable Jersey grant to help replace municipal gas-powered blowers with electric models and asked for information about the Township’s current equipment inventory. Committee members said they would provide it.
Support for Quiet Summer has spread to Madison and the Chathams. Most recently, the Morristown Shade Tree Commission asked to add its name to the initiative’s informational flyer.
Schachter ultimately would like Morris Township to consider restrictions similar to those adopted elsewhere. Maplewood and Montclair have year-round bans on gas-powered leaf blowers. Morristown voters approved restrictions in 2023 that prohibit their use from January through September.
For now, Morris Township’s ordinance regulates hours of operation rather than the equipment itself. Landscapers may not operate between 8 p.m. and 7 a.m. on weekdays, between 6 p.m. and 7 a.m. on Saturdays, and are prohibited on Sundays.
Schachter acknowledged that Township officials currently are occupied with other major issues, including affordable housing obligations, preparation of a new Master Plan ahead of an August 2027 deadline, and defending a federal lawsuit challenging the Township’s 2022 all-electric construction ordinance. Democracy Forward and Platinum Law Firm are representing the Township pro bono.
“I hope they can begin to consider gas-powered leaf blower legislation by the end of the year,” Schachter told Morristown Green.
A federal court recently upheld Montclair’s gas leaf blower ordinance against a challenge from landscaping companies and a resident who argued it was preempted by the federal Clean Air Act.
Quiet Communities, a nonprofit that advocates for reducing harmful noise and pollution, praised the Morris Township effort in an email to Schachter, writing that “this approach is the best we’ve seen as a model to emulate across the state.”
Schachter also has taken the campaign directly to residents. Of 10 people he said he spoke with door-to-door, nine were receptive.
Not everyone agrees.
Two residents argued that consumers will naturally switch to electric equipment if it proves superior, and that neighbors concerned about leaf blowers should address the issue directly with one another. Another resident complained about receiving a Quiet Summer flyer in a mailbox without postage, noting that such delivery is prohibited.
Schachter responded that the campaign is voluntary and educational, aimed at encouraging conversations with landscapers and raising awareness about environmental and health impacts.
“The reason why I thought it was okay is because I receive un-postmarked flyers all the time in my mailbox, and guess who they’re from — landscapers,” he said, while apologizing for any improper delivery.
GOING OUT ON A LIMB
Gas leaf blowers were not the only environmental issue raised.
Dr. Lynn Siebert, president of the Burnham Park Association, urged the Township to consult a New Jersey licensed tree expert before removing mature trees.
Siebert said she learned on May 31 that the Township planned to remove two mature oak trees on Midland Drive. After meeting briefly with Mayor Donna Guariglia and Administrator Timothy Quinn, she requested a pause while an independent expert assessed the trees and offered to help secure one.
“Mayor Guariglia was open to the idea of an expert assessment, but I don’t think Mr. Quinn was,” Siebert said.
The trees were removed on June 3.
Siebert said one stump showed limited decay and the other none that she could detect. She later consulted Evan Dilluvio, a state-licensed tree expert, who disputed the need for the removals.
Committeewoman Samantha Rothman, whose professional background is in forest ecology, said the Township can improve its tree-management practices and encouraged residents with concerns to engage with officials.
“There’s a lot that we can do to improve our management practices here in the municipality,” Rothman said. “We have a lot of people with a lot of training, a lot of expertise, and I believe I had a great meeting with Administrator Quinn. We’re all in agreement that we can always do better.”
PASSINGS, PLAYGROUNDS, PRIVATE PRACTICES
The meeting opened with a moment of silence for longtime Township Property Maintenance Inspector Walter Clark, who died earlier this month. Guariglia offered condolences to the family of the late John Landau, a former member of the Environmental Commission and a driving force behind the Friends of Foote’s Pond Wood.
Committee members also praised the Morris Township Police Department for managing traffic and crowds around the RWJBarnabas Health Red Bulls Training Facility during the Brazilian national soccer team’s stay.
“I know that there are a lot of rabid fans, and they’re very excited to have their preferred team here,” Committeeman Jeff Grayzel said, crediting police with protecting residents and managing traffic near the facility.
Brazilian fans waited outside the facility for hours on the first day of training in hopes of catching a glimpse of their team, even though training sessions are closed to the public.
Officials also highlighted recent community accomplishments, including the opening of the Collinsville Park playground and splash pad, attended by Rep. Analilia Mejia (R-25th Dist.), and the success of the Township’s third annual Pride Fest.
Committeeman William “Bud” Ravitz, who chaired the Pride Fest planning committee, condemned hateful online comments directed at the event.
“It just diminishes what we have accomplished here,” Ravitz said. “We should be — we’re better than that.”
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