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A Guide To Developing A Community Tree Preservation Ordinance Page 2 of 8 to educate and involve all of the potentially interested or affected parties in this process.Also important elements of a successful ordinance are discussed.A listing of additional available resources is also included. Planning Process Tree Inventory The first step in defining the goals of the ordinance is to obtain an inventory of the current situation.The initial resource assessment could include information regarding: ■ identification and location of the types of vegetation (i.e., cover types) which occur in the community; ■ identification of any unique ecosystems; ■ location of particularly large and/or historic trees; ■ profiles of the existing trees including species and size distributions. The initial evaluation should note areas of priority for preservation such as wooded 100 year floodplains,wooded stream corridors,wooded slopes, buffer zones,and aesthetically or environmentally fragile areas.A map of these areas can lead to comprehensive planning and identify potential areas likely to be adversely affected by development activities. Knowing all of these factors can help establish the emphasis of the ordinance. Assessment A community must first assess their tree resources before any constructive ordinance decisions can be made.Each community's ordinance must reflect the unique assets of its own urban forest. Once the current resources have been identified,informed and attainable goals for protection can be established.This process can create an effective and usable tree preservation ordinance. Goals and Scope of a Community Tree Preservation Ordinance or Policy Each community must determine its own needs and goals,and design its ordinance to best achieve these objectives. The goals of tree preservation ordinances can include: ■ reducing tree loss during development; ■ reducing damage to standing trees during construction; ■ providing for replacement of trees lost during construction; ■ providing for planting trees where none occurred previously; ■ providing for the maintenance of preserved trees after construction is completed. The scope of the ordinance(or policy)may cover only projects undertaken by the city on public land or it could also include work by utility companies,private residential, commercial or industrial projects.There may be a minimum size for a project to be regulated, measured i land area or in project cost.The ordinance may regulate only tree preservation or may also http://www.mnstac.org/RFC/preservationordguide.htm 11/14/2007