The Garden State is known for its dense forests and natural greenery, so you'd think a tree service would know better than to just start chopping.
Apparently not.
A Redditor took to the r/treelaw forum to share a story of the new owners of The Manor, a decades-old events venue in West Orange, and the landscapers who cleared the property, as CBS New York and NJ Advance Media reported.
They felled 246 trees, ranging from 4 feet to 28 feet tall.
Then the Bow and Arrow Manor, the institution opened on New Year's Eve 1956.
"Charges have been filed in West Orange Municipal Court against the property owners and the tree removal company they used for cutting down the trees without the proper and necessary permits in violation of the West Orange Municipal Tree Ordinance," NJ Advance Media reported.
Elmwood Tree Service was responsible for the work, according to CBS New York. The township regulates tree removal and replacement, and homeowners and developers need approval from the forester to cut down any tree.
"They essentially took these trees down without following any of the protocol in town," West Orange Township Council President Bill Rutherford told the station.
In a statement, the owners' lawyer said: "My clients plan to replace the trees to the satisfaction of the town and to the benefit of neighbors, residents, and customers."
However, locals worry because the area already floods, as CBS New York reported. Trees mitigate flooding by collecting rainwater in their leaves, improving stormwater penetration in soil, and using that water, per the Penn State Extension.
The Prospect Avenue landmark — a popular wedding venue that hosted Ronald Reagan during his first presidential campaign, according to NorthJersey.com — is being renovated. The owners plan to reopen as The Grand Chateau.
"I was horrified to see the damage on this property," Our Green West Orange board member Joyce Rudin told CBS New York. "The Manor is a beloved site, not just in West Orange but in all of New Jersey."
"Once again, wealthy people prove to us everyday they do not care about our planet," one Redditor said.
"Or anyone else," another commenter added.
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