This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Tree Preservation
and Protection Law of the Village of Sea Cliff."
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 Sea Cliff 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 and the hillside, 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.
