Letter to the Editor: Why Cancel the Benefit of Trees by Vacuuming Leaves

(This letter was written by Cynthia Roberts of Autenreith Road)

Mayor and Board of Trustees
Village of Scarsdale, NY
July 24, 2022

Dear Mayor Veron and Members of the Board of Trustees,

I was disappointed to see that you will continue to burden our community with the health impacts, environmental harms, and noise of leaf vacuuming this fall. Our community enjoys the many benefits of our trees. Why cancel out the benefits they provide by using tax-payer funds for five guys to drive around in a noisy, exhaust-spewing truck, vacuuming up the leaves only to have them trucked upstate?

While some members of the board may recognize and support the environmental and health benefits of leaf mulch-mowing such as providing free fertilizer for our lawns, makes lawns more resistant to drought, and minimizing the need for noxious leaf blowers, the hitch appears to be some ill-founded fear that the appearance of the lawns may suffer and that there may be significant added expense to homeowners. In light of the current Village policy promoting leaf mulch-mowing, I challenge each of you to pledge to mulch-mow your leaves this fall. You will gain first-hand experience so that after this fall, you will each be equipped to re-evaluate the viability and value of mulch-mowing.

In the meantime, at a minimum, Scarsdale should require registration with the Village of all lawn contracting companies such that educational information about greener and more healthful landscape practices can be disseminated inexpensively.

Your efforts and the time you spend as volunteers are always much appreciated.

Respectfully,
Cynthia Roberts
Autenreith Road