On October 16th, the Alexandria Township Land Use Board unanimously voted to request that the Township Committee amend the Tree Ordinance to better meet the needs of our community.

In 2024, Alexandria Township adopted a Tree Ordinance — as required by the NJ DEP — which requires residents to submit an application for ANY tree removal, regardless of whether the tree is dead, diseased, hazardous, or exempt. Even if you qualify for an exemption (such as a Woodlands Management Plan, Forest Stewardship Plan, or Tree Farms), you must still submit an application for permit for township approval. The application process may require upon request photos, maps, and even a letter from a NJ Licensed Tree Expert, creating unnecessary costs and delays. 

However, the NJ DEP clearly allows municipalities to modify their ordinances to fit local needs — as long as a tree replacement element remains. Many neighboring municipalities, including East Amwell and Bethlehem Townships, have already done this successfully.

Unfortunately, Alexandria’s current ordinance closely mirrors the NJ DEP’s “model” ordinance,— not designed for rural, farming communities like ours as currently we have a similar ordinance as Newark.

Alexandria is a rural, wooded, and agricultural community that we all love and want to preserve. Residents are already dealing with widespread loss of ash trees, diseased beech trees, cherry tree cankers, and storm damage — all of which contribute to frequent power outages. Residents should not need government approval or permits to remove dead or hazardous trees.

Think about this:

• Farmers who must maintain acres of fence line to protect their livestock
• Property owners with state-approved Woodlands Management or Forest Stewardship plans already overseen by NJ DEP foresters
• Requiring an application when you are exempt
• Taxpayer resources wasted processing these unnecessary applications 
• Neighboring townships have shown it’s possible to balance environmental protection and common sense — allowing limited tree removal without permits, and exempting dead or hazardous trees and managed forest properties from the application process.
• By amending the ordinance, Alexandria can still prevent clear cutting or vista cutting while reducing unnecessary burdens on residents and saving taxpayer dollars.

We recognize that some may simply choose to ignore the current ordinance — but doing so risks stricter state and township over governing in the future. 

The only sustainable path forward is to update the ordinance now to reflect the realities of our community.

We fully support the Land Use Board’s unanimous recommendation and urge the Township Committee to take decisive action and amend the current Tree Ordinance.

📅 Next Committee Meeting: December 11th at 7:30 PM


📍 Location: Alexandria Township Municipal Building

📣Your voice matters — your signature and presence at the meeting can make the difference!

✅ Sign and share this petition to show your support for a fair, reasonable, and community-driven Tree Ordinance for Alexandria Township!  

NJ DEP FAQ: https://dep.nj.gov/wp-content/uploads/njpdes-stormwater/ordinances/tree-ordinance-faq.pdf

NJ DEP Model Tree Ordinance: https://dep.nj.gov/wp-content/uploads/njpdes-stormwater/ordinances/model-tree-removal-replacement-final-2023.pdf

Alexandria Twp Tree Ordinance:  https://ecode360.com/8915715#38098789

Bethlehem Twp Tree Ordinance https://ecode360.com/41734776#41759169

East Amwell Twp Tree Ordinance https://ecode360.com/10037795