Shade Tree Commission

Meetings

7:00 pm
2nd Monday of each Month
Municipal Building
Shade Tree Meeting Dates (PDF)

Agendas & Minutes

Agendas are available prior to the meetings. Minutes are available following approval.

Members

Steve Chisholm, Chairman
Mordechai Gottlieb, Vice Chairperson
Joseph Aufiero
Michael McCabe
Linda Yostpile - Alternate
David Ossowski
William Schaap
Forester Dominick Pensabene - CME
Kathy Sevcenko, Recording Secretary

Public Education / Awareness / Outreach

The Shade Tree Commission has maintained the National Arbor Day Foundation Program’s “Tree City USA” accreditation for 17 years in a row.

Arbor Day 2020- Due to the Covid-19 pandemic the Arbor Day celebration was cancelled this year. The JSTC is planning on planting a tree at the Justice Complex in the fall of 2020.
Arbor Day 2019- The JTSTC planted two (2) Chamaecyparis obtuse ‘Gracilis’ at the Municipal Building on April 26, 2019.
Arbor Day 2018- The Shade Tree Commission had an Arbor Day program on April 28, 2018 at Gil Putnam Memorial Park. The STC planted five (5) White Dogwoods around the playground area.
Arbor Day 2017- The Shade Tree Commission had an Arbor Day program with elementary school children (Kindergarten classes) and planted a Dawn Redwood in front of the school (Lucy Holman Elementary School).
Arbor Day 2016- The Shade Tree Commission held an Arbor Day Ceremony at Municipal Complex located at 95 Don Conner Boulevard. The Shade Tree Commission planted a Stewartia pseudocellia, Acer saccharum ‘Bonfire’, and Amelanchier x grandifolia ‘Autumn Brilliance’. The Shade Tree Commission also planted twenty (20) Leyland Cypress at Jackson Liberty High Scholl and twelve (12) Leyland Cypress at Elms Elementary School on Patterson Road for screening purposes.
Arbor Day 2015- The Shade Tree Commission planted two (2) American Hollies and sixty (60) Boxwood at the Veterans War Memorial Park located at Jackson Mills Road and Commodore Boulevard. Also, the STC pruned the trees along the lake front.
Arbor Day 2014- The Shade Tree Commission planted sixteen (16) Shade trees at the Bartley Softball Field Complex located on Bartley Road. Also, mailed out over 100 letters to area tree care companies explaining that the Township requires all tree care companies doing tree removals or pruning are to register with the Township. Registration requires proof of Workman Comp. and Liability Insurance.
Arbor Day 2013- The Shade Tree Commission planted fifty-three (53) assorted Shade and Flowering trees at the Soccer Complex located on Jackson Mills Road
Arbor Day 2012- The Shade Tree Commission planted twenty (20) assorted Shade and Flowering trees at the Municipal Annex Building located on Don Conner Blvd.
Arbor Day 2005 was celebrated on May 13, 2005 at the Jackson Mills Firehouse. All of the Fourth Grade classes from Elms Elementary School attended the program, which included the planting of individually potted tree seedlings for the students to take home
Arbor Day 2004 was celebrated in October, 2004 with a Beautification Project at Jackson Memorial High School, in coordination with the Jackson Rotary Club
Arbor Day 2006 was celebrated on May 2, 2006 at the Jackson Township Volunteer Fire County Number 1 on Larson Road All of the Fourth Grade classes from Crawford - Rodriguez Elementary School attended the program, which included the planting of individually potted tree seedlings for the students to take home
Tree City USA annual awards
Continued compliance with Jackson Township’s State approved Community Forestry Management Plan

Projects

The Shade Tree Commission has been thinning the underbrush within the Gil Putnam Memorial Park to allow for more useable space and visibility within the Township Park. The Shade Tree Commission is planning on planting additional understory trees and specimen trees within the park for the public to enjoy. They will also be working with the Township Engineering Dept. on plans for a possible dog park within this site.
In the past the Shade Tree Commission has planted 91 trees within the Hawkin Ridge Development off of Hawkin Road and 52 trees on Dante Court located off of West Pleasant Grove Road. These were a combination of street trees and buffer trees around the storm water basins.
Also, the Shade Tree Commission has been contracting out hazard tree removals and pruning’s throughout the Township in response to resident concerns and with input from the Public Works Dept. and the School District Transportation Dept. Request for bids are sent out to local State registered Licensed Tree Care Companies (LTCO).
2004 to 2005 Municipal Tree Planting Project- $300,000 A $300,000 project for the planting of trees over 3 phases at the following places throughout the township:
- Firehouses
- First Aid Squads
- MUA Sites
- Municipal Parking Lots
- Roadsides
- Schools
- Township Parks
2004 Jackson Memorial High School Beautification Project - $16,000 A community project for the planting of trees and shrubs at the high school with volunteers from the high school and the Jackson Rotary Club.
2005 Municipal Hazard Tree Removal Project- $ 40,000 A project for the removal of dead and dying hazardous trees at the following 8 municipal sites:
- DPW Bulky Waste Site
- Jackson Memorial High School
- Jackson Municipal Complex
- Jackson Sports Complex
- Project Playground
- Senior Center
- Switlik Elementary School
2005 Hazard Tree Survey Project - $ 25,000 A windshield survey of all township roadways, parks, and schools for hazardous trees, as part of Jackson Township’s Community Forestry Management Plan goals. The survey was completed Fall 2005 / Spring 2006. Public notification of privately owned hazard trees along roadways was also done.
Assistance and testimony at the 2005 trial of Shore Builders Association vs. Jackson Township regarding the Jackson Township Tree Removal Ordinance, Chapter 100.

Grants

The Shade Tree Commission has received grants from the State to write Community Forestry Plan as well as the subsequent 5-year plan updates. Currently, the CFMP is in its fourth 5-year update which runs until the end of 2023.

The New Jersey State Forest Service awarded Jackson Township CSIP Grant Number 6 in 2005, in the amount of $ 5,840 to be used towards the implementation of a Hazard Tree Survey throughout the township.

The New Jersey State Forest Service awarded Jackson Township a BPU - Cool Cities Grant, in the amount of $ 25,00 to be used towards the planting of street trees to cool streets and reduce overall community energy consumption.

The Ocean County Shade Tree Commission has a pending application for the awarding of 44 trees to be planted by Jackson Township Dept of Public Works on three Ocean County Properties within the township. The value of the grant is approximately $4,500