Local programs in the United States for preventing the destruction of trees on private land

Abstract

Adoption of municipal ordinances regulating the removal of trees on private property is a recent phenomenon in the U.S.A. Some ordinances regulate the removal of ordinary trees above a specified size in designated areas. Others regulate the removal of trees that are special because of their age, unusual size, beauty, historic association, or because they are part of an environmentally endangered natural forest community. Most programs suffer from limited coverage, exempting major land uses, small and even medium size trees. Permit approval rates are high, but many permits are granted only after plans have been improved. There have been few court tests. Current regulatory programs do not take into account the special characteristics of a municipality's topography, existing mature stands, and patterns of buildings and open space. Regulations should be preceded by landscape analysis and a municipal landscape plan for retaining trees and planting new ones in municipal-scale patterns that will be most effective in attaining energy, environmental, and scenic goals. The municipal landscape plan could be translated into regulations through an overlay to the zoning map. Effective implemention would require incentives and education in addition to enforcement of the regulations. Research is needed to provide standards for determining amounts, locations, and nature of plantings to achieve desired microclimate moderation, noise attenuation, and scenic benefits.