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Resident tells environmental commission neighbors cleared land she says is wetlands; commission to contact regulator
Summary
At the Jan. 5 meeting, resident Lisa Capso Kevos said neighbors have cut vegetation on land she believes is wetlands and left caution tape that could harm wildlife, including an endangered owl. Commissioners agreed to request a response from the township wetland regulator and to explore regulatory or ordinance options.
A Franklin Township resident told the Environmental Commission on Jan. 5 that neighbors have cut down vegetation and left caution tape and ribboned trees on land she says is designated wetlands, and that state wetland regulators have been slow to respond.
"My neighbors... do not seem to have any knowledge of the fact that their land is considered wetlands," said resident Lisa Capso Kevos, who gave her address and asked the commission for help. She said the clearing began last April and that the area is adjacent to township-preserved open space. "They cut down all the bushes... they just left piles of everything they cut down." She also said a staffer who did initial research found a recorded sighting of an endangered owl.
Commission members said the commission is advisory and does not have direct enforcement power but can assist by asking the regulator to visit the site. A member offered to contact the regulator — identified in the discussion only as the township wetlands office and by staff names mentioned by the resident, including Kelly Kaiser and Fiona Bennett — to request inspection and guidance.
Commissioners explained that state aerial maps indicate wetlands but that an official boundary usually requires a letter of interpretation (LOI) or a ground survey by a certified expert before enforcement steps can be taken. They told the resident that the typical triggers for regulatory action are permit applications or documented, verifiable tree removal, but agreed that an inspection could help determine whether the trees or ribbons are within wetlands and whether restoration or enforcement is required.
The commission discussed short-term options, including advising the township to notify the regulator and, if desired, drafting proposed local guidance or an ordinance limiting use of caution tape on sensitive open-space or wetland-adjacent parcels. A commissioner said the township already has a tree-removal ordinance with size thresholds and that wetlands rules could supersede routine residential exemptions if the land is officially designated.
The commission said it will reach out to the regulator to ask whether staff can inspect the site and advise on next steps; members encouraged the resident to document the disturbance with photos. The public-comment period closed after the commission agreed to pursue contact with the regulator and to copy the resident on correspondence.
The commission did not take enforcement action at the meeting; it recorded the resident's complaint and committed to seeking an inspection and clarifying the regulator's options and next steps.
