Explanation
Background: This ordinance amends Columbus City Codes Chapter 912, Trees and Shrubs, and supersedes by codifying, Executive Order 2015-01, Tree Protection and Mitigation Policy.
Columbus' Urban Forestry Master Plan (UFMP) was approved by City Council in 2021 and is a strategic plan to prioritize, preserve, and grow our tree canopy over the next decades. One of the key actions in the UFMP is to update Columbus' public tree protections.
Public trees are all trees growing on City-owned properties. In Columbus, 30% of our overall tree canopy grows on public land and includes more than 125,000 street trees. Protecting these trees is important to Columbus’ canopy goals, particularly stopping net loss by 2030. City Code confers authority over all trees planted or to be planted on City-owned property to the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department.
Public trees are governed today by City Code Chapter 912 and Executive Order 2015-01. Chapter 912 was adopted over 30 years ago, in 1991, and gives the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department the authority over trees planted or to be planted on City-owned properties. It includes some protections for public trees, established a tree fund, and established the Tree Subcommission. In 2015, Former Mayor Coleman signed an Executive Order to ensure that City construction activities and capital improvement projects minimize impacts to trees, requiring tree mitigation via planting or payment-in-lieu.
The City held two public comment periods, and the Recreation and Parks Department held over 35 City interdepartmental meetings to work through implementation logistics. Major changes to the City Code and a companion manual to aid in better outcomes and better protect public trees were discussed. The proposed Tree Technical Manual was drafted. For the first time, code changes to allow for the creation of a Tree Technical Manual that carries the force of City Code were advanced. This is important because it means the depa...
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