Trees as property are like no other
If you have to take down a tree, replace it with another. Credit: Getty Images / iStock / Yume-Tabi
Another week, another hole in the sky.
Not to be melodramatic, but that’s how I feel when another tree goes down in the neighborhood. This one was tall, but it didn’t fall on its own. It was taken down, a preemptive strike of some sort.
I don’t know why it was cut down. I did not talk to the homeowner. It did not seem to be titling precipitously toward the house, or anyone’s house, but it could have been diseased. And it was big; perhaps caring for it had become too much of a bother.
Whatever the reason — and in the post-Superstorm Sandy era, many homeowners have needed no reason beyond their memory of fallen trees, damaged homes and downed power lines — it’s always sad when a tree comes down. A tree, after all, is a gift. It asks little of us but offers an abundance in return — from its essential role in nature’s symbiosis to its contributions to our health and visual aesthetics.
Standing against this lament, of course, are property rights, which are as deeply rooted in American culture as our most stately trees. Property rights were established in England by the Magna Carta in 1215, espoused by 17th century philosopher John Locke as a bulwark of liberty, and enshrined in the United States Constitution by the founders, who viewed property rights as a prerequisite for self-government, a source of wealth and prosperity, and inextricably linked to freedom itself.
“Property must be secured or liberty cannot exist,” John Adams famously and succinctly said.
Part of the concept of property rights is that one is free to do as one wants with one’s property as long as that doesn’t run afoul of local regulations. So if you want to take down a tree on your property, it’s none of my business.
Or is it?
We all enjoy property rights, yes, but don’t we also have an obligation to our neighbors and our neighborhood to act in the communal interest when we can? To acknowledge that we’re all in this together? To recognize that our proximity to one another, our shared humanity, and our collective interest means we ought to do what we can to make life better for all of us?
Surely we can agree on that. But what does it have to do with trees?
Trees filter the rain that soaks the ground and percolates down to our aquifer, the sole source of the water into which all Long Islanders dip our straws to drink and our sponges to clean. Trees hold the soil in place during deluges and prevent erosion, protecting property. By providing shade, they cool yards and homes and lower energy costs. They reduce noise pollution and ease asthma by helping to clean the air.
In fact, an impressive and growing body of research shows a slew of health benefits accrue from simply spending time regularly among trees — including reducing stress and blood pressure; alleviating symptoms of anxiety and depression; boosting cognition, longevity and mood; and lowering the incidence of chronic illnesses like cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Trees provide food and shelter for birds and other wildlife, who need all the help they can get these days, and flowering trees are important sources of pollen for butterflies and bees. Trees also increase curb appeal and property values. And they are beautiful.
The impact of a tree, in other words, extends well beyond the plot of land on which it stands.
So here is a modest proposal: If you have to take down a tree, replace it with another tree. It doesn’t have to be one destined to grow to 100 feet. One that typically tops out at 25 or 30 feet would be fine.
A tree is a tree, and the more we have the better. For all of us.
Michael Dobie is a retired member of the Newsday editorial board.
