Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Timber Harvesting topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Hampton Council authorizes advertisement to update timber-harvesting ordinance to align with state guidance
Summary
Council authorized advertisement of a revision to the township's timber-harvesting ordinance to better align with Pennsylvania Act 38 and model language from the Attorney General's Office after earlier legal challenges and numerous AG letters prompted changes.
The Hampton Township Council authorized advertisement of an update to the township's timber-harvesting ordinance at its May 27 meeting, a step staff said is necessary to align local rules with Pennsylvania Commonwealth Act 38 and model language recommended by the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office.
Staff said the township's prior ordinance was "very aggressive" and had been adjusted after a lawsuit and multiple AG letter rulings. Council members asked whether an earlier exemption for removing trees posing immediate danger remains in the updated draft; staff replied that some exceptions may have been subsumed into other sections or removed to conform to AG guidance. One participant encouraged careful review to ensure hazard exceptions remain clear to property owners and enforcement staff.
The council voted to authorize advertisement of the ordinance update, which begins the public-notice and hearing process. Staff said additional redline notes and a memo from the township solicitor and planning staff are available to council and that a public hearing will be scheduled following the notice period.
The advertisement does not itself change the ordinance; it starts the formal public process that could include a hearing, amendments and a final adoption vote at a future meeting.
