What are tree ordinances and does your community have them?
Posted by Sue Bennett
Tree ordinances are an excellent way to ensure that your town's efforts to preserve your trees are as thorough as yours. Let's begin by looking at what a tree ordinance is. There are three types of ordinances:
- Street tree ordinances primarily cover the planting and removal of trees within public rights-of-way. They often contain provisions governing maintenance or removal of private trees which pose a hazard to the traveling public. Also included in this category are ordinances with tree planting requirements, such as those requiring tree planting in parking lots.
- Tree protection ordinances are primarily directed at providing protection for native trees or trees with historical significance. They usually require that a permit be obtained before protected trees can be removed, encroached upon, or in some cases, pruned.
- View ordinances are designed to help resolve conflicts between property owners that result when trees block views or sunlight. (courtesy of the International Society of Arboriculture)
Why is a tree ordinance important? More and more communities are beginning to recognize the very tangible benefits that trees provide in the urban environment. Tree ordinances are among the tools used by communities striving to attain a healthy, vigorous and well managed community forest.
How are they enforced? Tree ordinances are enforced by both cities and counties. If you don't know whether or not your community has a tree ordinance, contact your local city hall or county if you live in an unincorporated area.
So, you called and found out that your town does not have tree ordinances, what can you do to improve the quality of care given to your community's trees? Contact www.isa-arbor.com for a variety of tools and resources for citizens and local governments interested in developing, revising or evaluating local tree ordinances.
Not only do communities and their citizens that benefit from these types of tree guidelines. Tree ordinances are important guidelines for developers and builders as well. We recently helped the Porter County planners of Porter County, Indiana to establish their guidebook of tree and landscaping ordinances. For a copy of the tree ordinance and landscaping plan, click here.