Talking trees, county budgets

What would an urban forest ordinance look like?

Tuesday, December 27, 2022

Hello reader, I hope that you are dry today. That storm last night marked the first leaf-clearing storm for most local creeks. 

This email you are briefed on what an urban forest ordinance could look like within the city.

• City gov’t | What would a City of Willits urban forest ordinance look like?

• County gov’t | Talking county budgets.

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Willits’ urban forest

Council members unanimously approved a new urban forest management plan back in November.

The consulting firm that wrote the plan tucked a sample ordinance into the materials.

The sample provided is a thorough document and covered different facets of management from a list of approved trees to a tree removal policy.

If the city had such an ordinance, a project like removing a tree would happen only with approval from the Public Works Director. 

Approval may come after a professional arborist is hired to evaluate the tree. 

Then, once a tree is downed, its stump must be ground to a depth of 16 inches and a new tree planted in its place.

But in some cases the new tree may need to be relocated to a better site and the sample ordinance takes all that into consideration. 

Taking better care of trees or planting more trees in town does raise some questions.

For citizens, planting more trees could be a question of water usage.

And when it comes to tree maintenance or related work, who is responsible?