My parents moved into Commack thirty-eight years ago, picking our current neighborhood because the streets were covered by a beautiful canopy of trees. Not only do trees add aesthetic value to our neighborhoods, they absorb carbon dioxide to combat the greenhouse effect, purify the air, provide oxygen, conserve energy by providing shade to homes, save water, prevent water pollution, prevent soil erosion and provide homes for wildlife. Reflecting on the recent Hurricane (Superstorm) Sandy, in which the many trees in our neighborhood caused power lines to fall and homes to be damaged it may seem rational to remove the trees themselves; however this is a short-term solution that will cause long-term problems. This is the first storm that has knocked down a significant amount of trees in nearly thirty years and the odds of it occurring any time soon is unlikely. By removing trees, you are decreasing combat against the greenhouse effect, which is one of the leading causes of climate change and changing weather patterns so by removing trees we may be increasing the actual problem at hand. In addition, the removal of trees decreases property value and the natural moral of the community. Trees were on earth long before humans were and therefore we should respect their presence and learn how to live with their threats rather than remove them completely. While trees have already started being cut down in the neighborhood south of New Highway in Commack, the goal of this petition is to prevent further removal and expansion into other neighborhoods in the area and across Long Island.

(Some statistics courtesy ofhttp://www.treepeople.org)