The Newtown Bee and its Letter Hive have been buzzing in recent months with contributors and callers lamenting the late 2022 round of roadside tree clearing and calling for an investigation. Most opponents of the latest round of tree clearing, particularly by Eversource as a means to mitigate power interruptions, represent two camps.

One group simply hates the way it makes their neighborhoods look aesthetically, with some expressing concerns about the possible negative impact on property values. The other, much larger, faction is concerned about the environmental degradation and related consequences of the so-called “clear-cutting” along local roadways.

Responding to the first few readers who began calling for some type of explanation, we reached out to Eversource, which quickly replied that every tree cut was either already compromised by age or disease or was at risk for falling on power lines. We were also assured that every resident and owner whose property was involved in Eversource’s 2022 tree clearing program was contacted, and provided permission for the extent of tree removal that occurred.

If this is not true, The Bee would certainly like to hear about it.

The newspaper was also reminded that one of those affected property owners was our own Newtown Forest Association, whose members should know as well as anyone when decisions about reducing the number of trees is necessary and appropriate. By virtue of the fact that this group provided permission to the utility to clear-cut a segment of its tree inventory, one might think similar cutting along other local roadsides was justified.

We broach this subject today because Eversource has just issued notice that many more trees in Newtown will be coming down in 2023. According to the utility, identified trees along another 100 miles of Newtown’s power lines will be falling before the end of this year.

In its proactive defense, Eversource says it respects community members who value the natural beauty and many environmental benefits of their local tree stock. When power goes out during a storm, however, the company says it is usually caused by trees falling on power equipment. And with the changing climate driving more frequent severe weather, the utility says tree trimming and removal near overhead lines is imperative to help fortify the electric system.

Sean Redding, the utility’s vegetation management manager, reports that Connecticut’s roadside forest stock is not only getting older, it also continues to suffer the effects of a variety of environmental factors ranging from stronger storms and recent droughts to a growing list of insect infestations and diseases. That list now includes beech leaf disease along with the familiar spongy moth and emerald ash borer, which continue to take a toll on trees across the state — and there are no signs of the problem going away.

While nobody among our newspaper staff is an arborist, we know that Newtown has many individuals who harbor similar knowledge whether they are landscaping or tree professionals, or just well-read on the subject. But we want the community to know that any ideas, observations or alternatives residents might offer about mitigating future utility-related tree removal will be welcomed and shared with our readers through related reporting or in our Letter Hive.