Hillside Tree Cutting in Deep River

One of the ongoing challenges that faces the Gateway Commission is hillside tree cutting within the Conservation Zone. Although standards can be found for the regulation of the clear cutting of trees, most of them require a sophisticated municipal land use structure to put them into operation. The size of the Gateway towns and their often limited budgets don't, unfortunately, lend to such a system. As an alternative, the Gateway Commission seeks to educate the public with regard to how much-valued views can be obtained while still retaining a significant amount of visually-buffering vegetation. Balance of private vs. public rights is what the Commission seeks to find.

In the the two photos above, the same property is seen two years apart in 2008 (left) and in late 2010 (right). In an effort to increase what was already a spectacular view of the lower Connecticut River valley, the former property owner cleared the hillside of most vegetation including large trees and a dense understory. In the 2010 photo, the understory can be seen to have grown back to a degree, but as one would suspect, the larger trees have not. When tree cutting occurs, it creates a long-term impact that doesn't correct itself for decades. In addition to creating a scar on the hillside when viewed from the river, the elimination of the trees and other vegetation created a significant stormwater runoff problem for River Road and a neighboring property below. The new understory has helped mitigate the flow of storm water drainage downslope but the reestablishment of the vegetation still and the restabilization of the slope has a long way to go.

The property in the photo above-left is a much better example of how the retention of trees and the trimming of their lower branches can afford the property owner a view while still retaining the visual buffering value of the trees. The riverfront in this location also includes a somewhat intact riparian buffer whose vegetation aids in filtering the fertilizer and pesticides that are likely used to maintain the lawn. Although broad landscaped lawns can be beautiful, their fertilizer and pesticide maintenance and frequent lack of riverfront vegetation can create significant adverse water quality impacts in the river.