Trees & plants fact sheet 1 : actions and resources

North Carolina Trees & Plants Actions and Resources Fact Sheet О Trees and plants on private and public land provide the entire community with benefits. Many towns and counties have taken steps to both protect and increase their tree canopy and other greenscapes within and around their jurisdictions. Avenues for Action Local governments can consider the following steps to maintain or increase the benefits they receive from plants in their communities: • Protect forests. • Take inventory of natural resources and develop a conservation plan and actions. • Require or encourage stormwater ponds to have wetland features. • Adopt a tree ordinance. • Limit development in riparian areas. • Establish open or green space requirements in new development. • Require or encourage low impact development and conservation subdivisions. • Conduct environmental reviews and require impact minimization for new developments. • Promote and provide incentives for voluntary planting of trees and shrubs. • Green the streets by adding trees and shrubs. • Encourage green roofs on new and existing buildings. As seen below, Currituck County is taking steps to increase vegetation around stormwater ponds. Planted in July 201 0, and after only three months of growth, a new wetland feature, buffer and small garden area at the Currituck County Cooperative Extension center have improved stormwater treatment and turned the previous eyesore into an amenity for the site. (Photos: Gloria Putnam/North Carolina Sea Grant) Communities in Action Hilton Head Island, S.C., has a Land Management Ordinance that includes provisions for saving and re-establishing native vegetation. It includes standards for open space, wetland buffers and buffers between adjacent land use. The ordinance also specifies requirements for tree and native vegetation removal and replacement, and establishes a tree-mitigation fund. http://library. muni code, com/index. aspx?clientld=l 427 l&stateld=40&stateName=South%20Carolina Sustainability Series