HILLSDALE, N.J.—Hillsdale Environmental Commission Chair Fred Rubel is urging the borough to increase funding for street tree planting after reporting a net loss of 237 street trees in nine months.
Rubel told councilors Oct. 13 that Hillsdale has about 4,000 street trees but suffered a “net loss” of 237 from fall 2025 through June 2026.
He did not request a specific amount, asking the mayor and council to determine an increase that fits with other 2027 budget priorities.
In a brief presentation, he said, “We hope to see a more significant tree management budget for 2027 for managing street trees.”
He showed the 2026 tree management budget, which appropriated $3,800 for street tree planting. Rubel said “very few street trees have been planted over the past eight years,” which he attributed to low planting budgets. He hopes to work with the Department of Public Works to plant five or six street trees before the end of 2026.
Rubel said, “With respect to the ‘aging out’ of street trees in our borough, we are working with the DPW hoping to get a few street trees planted before this year ends using funds from the dedicated Shade Tree Donation Account.”
Rubel thanked the DPW for helping with previous plantings and praised DPW Superintendent Barry Peterson and his crews for a “prompt response” several weeks earlier when tree limbs fell along Liberty Avenue and near the Beechwood Nature Trail, where high school students had parked cars.
“In addition to responding quickly with a good-size crew, the (DPW) team creatively used borough-owned equipment instead of a contractor to access and remove higher dead tree limbs, which no doubt provided a monetary savings for the borough,” Rubel noted.
Some councilors suggested significantly increasing the street tree planting budget in 2027, expressing concern that the borough is losing its tree canopy, which provides shade and helps reduce summer heat. Street trees also give neighborhoods character.
Rubel said he hoped his presentation would prompt discussion of the need for trees and a broader community question: What do elected officials and residents want the streets of Hillsdale to look like?
He said he hoped that attention would lead to an improved canopy townwide and more funding for street tree replacement. He also briefly discussed which types of trees are better suited to streets, saying some last more than a century while others struggle to reach 40 to 60 years.
Rubel also provided a short history of Hillsdale’s Environmental Commission, which was formed in 1969 and formally established by ordinance in 1972.
“We serve in an advisory capacity to the Planning Board and (council). But we also try to advocate for the environmental concerns of residents, especially when contacted by them. We intend to be a relevant resource prompting the borough as it addresses current-day issues,” Rubel said.
He said the commission hopes to make Hillsdale more resilient and sustainable and help taxpayers save money through energy efficiency.
“Our intention is to be non-partisan. Our members have knowledge and experience in the sciences, native plantings, landscaping, engineering, businesses and project management, managing government programs, environmental protection and remediation, and public and worker health and safety,” he said.
Members include Rubel, David Cooper, Tracy Hanson, Meredith Kates, Owen
Peacock, Scott Raymond, Anthony Reen, Rick Savino and Zarah Thanasides.