Garden Club of New Haven
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Who We Are
    • Club History
  • Civic Projects
    • New Haven's Green and Its Elms >
      • 2013 Tree Project
      • Slide Show - GCNH & New Haven's Elms
      • Walking Tour and DVD of The New Haven Green: Heart of a City
    • Phelps Triangle Park
    • Community Activities >
      • Partners for Plants
      • Holiday Arrangements for Area Nursing Homes
      • Community Awards
      • Leeway
  • Conservation
    • Individual Action
    • Birdscaping
    • GCA National Affairs and Legislation and Conservation
    • Water Conservation
  • Trees & Power
    • Utility tree pruning and removal >
      • ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE >
        • Diagram for Local Action
      • Alternatives to ETT/ETR and Rigid Line Clearance Standards
      • Background and Detail: Utility Pruning and Removal >
        • Background and News Coverage March 5 and 6 PURA Meetings
        • INFORMATION ON PURA DOCKET NO.12-01-10, TREE TRIMMING
        • Legislative Actions
        • List of Documents
        • News Coverage
        • Petitions, Meetings on Utility Tree Removal and Pruning
        • Previous Updates
      • The Benefits of Street Trees
      • Damages and Penalties for Unauthorized Tree Pruning and Removal
      • Ensure utility compliance with the law
      • Frequently Asked Questions
      • GCNH Positions on Trees and Power >
        • Planting the Right Trees in the Right Place
      • PURA Appeal
      • RECENT INFORMATION, NOTICES AND NEWS
      • Summary of the Law-2017
      • Trees and Power: A Slide Show Summary
      • Tree Ordinances and Commissions; Tree Warden Permits
      • Undergrounding of Wires -- A long term solution
      • Utility Vegetation Management Plans >
        • PHOTOS
      • Wood Products from Removed Trees
  • Flowers, Plants & Gardens
    • Horticulture
    • Garden History and Design
  • Members
    • News
    • Index
    • President's Monthly Letter
    • Board Meeting Minutes
    • General Meeting Minutes
    • 2019-2020 Directory
    • Complete calendar and listing of monthly program
    • Flower Shows, Garden Tours, Lectures and Movies
    • General Information: Articles of Association and Bylaws >
      • Club Project Proposal Form
      • Strategic Plan
      • Membership Requirements
      • Dues
      • Board
      • Endowed Funds
      • Past Presidents
      • Waterman Bowl Recipients
    • Committees A-L >
      • Archives
      • Awards
      • Civic
      • Communications
      • Conservation
      • Finance
      • Horticulture
      • Floral Design
      • Garden History & Design
      • Hospitality
    • Committees M-Z >
      • Membership
      • New Member Education
      • Nominating
      • Phelps Triangle
      • Photography
      • Scholarship
      • Trees and Power
      • Visiting Gardens >
        • Past Garden Visits
        • Members Gardens
      • Ways and Means
    • Photos Premiere-The New Haven Green: Heart of a City
    • Annual Meeting Photos >
      • 2012 Annual Meeting
      • 2013 Annual Meeting
      • 2015 Annual meeting
      • 2016 Annual Meeting
      • 2017 Annual Meeting
      • 2018 Annual Meeting
    • GCA News >
      • GCA contact info
      • GCA Founders Fund
      • The Redwoods and GCA
    • The Federated Garden Clubs of America

Legislative Actions

Amended HB 5408, An Act Concerning Tree Trimming, now known as Public Act 14-151, passed the House of the CT General Assembly on May 2 and the Ct Senate unanimously (with one absence) on May 7.   The Governor signed the Act on June 6, 2014 and it takes effect immediately.  Among other things, Public Act 14-151  shifts the burden of proof to the utility on appeal to PURA as in the original bill, make improvements in the process for objection and notification, clarifies rights regarding pruning and removal of trees on private land outside of the public right-of-way but within the utility protection zone,  provides for optional mediation prior to any appeal to PURA of a dispute regarding objections and requires PURA to consider stump grinding of trees that are removed in an appeal of a tree warden or DOT decision.  Click for more detailed Summary of the Bill.


It you asked for your senator's support, please call or e-mail your state senator to thank him or her.
Background on prior versions of HB 5408:
HB 5408, An Act Concerning Tree Trimming, as originally proposed, would shift the burden of proving that "public convenience and necessity" require the pruning or removal of a tree by a utility on appeal from a tree warden's decision by the utility or by the abutting property owner.   It was voted out of the Committee on Energy and Technology on March 18, 2014.

It was later amended, and reported out of the Committee on Energy and Technology on April 7, 2014, as Substitute House Bill No. 5408.   The link provides Office of Fiscal Analysis and Office of Legislative Research reports, as well as the text of the amended bill. 

For further information and to follow the about the progress of the bill and any further amendments to it, search by clicking here and putting in 5408 in the number box. 

Negotiations were said to be occurring on a bill that is substantially different from that which is publicly available.  It is said to shift the burden of proof as in the original bill, make improvements in the process for objection and notification, clarify rights regarding pruning and removal of trees on private land outside of the public right-of-way but within the utility protection zone,  and provide for stump grinding and replacement of trees that are removed.
For TECHNICAL ISSUES ABOUT THE WEBSITE only, contact gardenclubnh2@gmail.com .
Any discussion of law on this site is for informational purposes only, and does not constitute legal advice. For legal advice regarding particular facts and circumstances, please consult an attorney. 
Click here to install Adobe Reader for free, in order to read PDF files.
Updated August 15, 2017