Description
Mature trees play a critical role in capturing rainfall and reducing runoff. Tree Protection Ordinance language can minimize the amount of trees cleared during development, specifically critical trees (by type, age, or size) that should be retained, and set separate parameters for replanting disturbed areas.
Strengths
Trees provide important environmental benefits, as well as add value to real estate.
Weaknesses
Tree protection requirements can impair or delay certain types of locally-desired developments that may require extensive tree removal, such as farmers expanding their agricultural fields, park requirements creating new golf course fairways or schools building new playfields. Mitigation requirements (ie. planting more trees elsewhere than you cut down on a single site) might be a useful way to offset these impacts.
Examples
Example 1: Minnesota
Description: City of Duluth: Landscaping and Tree Preservation
Example 2: Ohio
Description: Ohio Balanced Growth Program
Example 3: New York
Description: Laws and regulations regarding the removal of trees and protected plants