Developing successful tree ordinances

DEVELOPING SUCCESSFUL ORDINANCES DEVELOPING SUCCESSFUL TREE ORDINANCES Communities use tree ordinances as tools to protect trees, preserve green space, and promote healthy, managed urban forests. To protect trees and prevent their loss in the urban environment, communities need to understand tree ordinances, their limitations, and their proper implementation. Distributed in furtherance of the acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914. North Carolina State Uni¬ versity and North Carolina A&T State University com¬ mit themselves to positive action to secure equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, sex, age, or disability. In addition, the two Universities welcome all persons without regard to sexual orientation. North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating. Tree ordinances establish official policies for how a community wants to maintain and protect its trees. They set standards for selection, planting, maintaining, and con¬ serving community trees. Ordinances seek to establish a legal means of protecting the public interest. Where Tree Ordinances Work Best Properly applied ordinances prescribe com¬ munity tree management to maximize the benefits provided by trees. Different kinds of ordinances can be used to conserve urban forests near streets, in parks, around public and commercial buildings, and in neighborhoods. Examples of Tree Protection Regulations Street Tree Ordinance: Contains provi¬ sions regarding planting, maintenance, and removal of trees within the rights-of-way. A street tree ordinance may contain provi¬ sions for dealing with private trees when they impact public interest or pose a public hazard. Tree Protection Ordinance: Protects or conserves desirable trees, tree canopy, or trees with historic significance on public and private property. Some tree protection NC STATE INIVERSflY ЛАТ STATE UNIVERSITY COOPERATIVE EXTENSION Hnyin, ft,,,,', ft. i ■» »o.l ordinances require a permit before pro¬ tected trees can be removed, encroached upon, or pruned. Landscape Ordinance: Establishes required landscaping provisions, such as number, placement, and types of suitable plants or trees. May require trees or land¬ scaping in parking lots or buffer yards. Buffer Ordinance: Protects amenities (views) of adjacent property owners in commercial and residential develop¬ ments, and protects water quality in streams and other water bodies. Estab¬ lishes specifications for acceptable noise buffers, visual buffers, and riparian buf¬ fers. Tree protection regulations typically do not stand alone, with the exception of street tree ordinances, but are often incorporated within other ordinances. Regulations are often created by amend¬ ing existing zoning ordinances or unified development ordinances (UDO) and may be found in the landscaping and vegeta¬ tive buffer sections of these ordinances.