The Alternative Press

Did you know that:

 - Summit’s Department of Community Services plants 100-150 trees annually, including both native and exotic species, and removes about 40 trees for disease or hazards;

 - Sugar maples, white and red pines, eastern hemlock, red oak and white birch are the most common tree species found in the Summit area;

- More than 100 bird species have been seen in Summit;

- Summit lies at the intersection of three watershed management areas and the underground aquifer is vulnerable to contamination due to the shallow depth of ground water;

- Summit has 39 different kinds of soil, the most common of which has dense, compact lower layers making the management of storm water runoff a challenge;

- The large year-round populations of Canada Geese (particularly in the Briant Park area) and white-tailed deer have done substantial damage to Summit's ecosystem, and new visitors -- young black bears -- have been sighted in Summit with increasing regularity;

- There are 34 "Open Space Areas" and 44 "Historic Sites" in Summit;

- Summit has enacted ordinances on recycling, storm water runoff, tree removal and protection, fertilizer use, and waterway protection?

You can read more about Summit’s natural history, land, water, air and living resources, and methods for sustaining these resources in the recently-released and updated Environmental Resource Inventory (ERI), available online at http://www.cityofsummit.org/filestorage/8252/8365/2011_ERI_Summit.pdf.

Loaded with charts, tables, and interesting facts presented in a well-organized fashion, the ERI will educate you about Summit's abundant natural resources and what the City is doing to protect and enhance them. Much of the information is useful for homeowners who want to better understand how to maintain their property with native plants and trees, and manage storm water runoff. The Appendices alone include information on easy-to-grow native plants, street and landmark trees in Summit, bird species seen in Summit, animals of New Jersey and a green building checklist.

And, parents, if you have map-loving kids (or if you are a map-loving kid yourself), you'll be able to pore over maps of geology, topology, elevation, soils, wetlands, open space, land use, historic sites, and more. With most maps, you can actually pinpoint your street as well.

So take a look and learn more about the amazing City you live in, with its lush open spaces, mature trees, diverse wildlife, native plants, and interesting geology and geography. It is sure to lead you to an increased appreciation of the natural beauty you see every day and for the efforts that our City officials and volunteer organizations put into maintaining them.

Summit’s partnership with the Passaic River Coalition to prepare the updated ERI was made possible through a grant from the Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions supported by the Geraldine Dodge Foundation.

By Beth Lovejoy, on behalf of the Summit Environmental Commission