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Fort Worth council adopts tighter tree ordinance limits and protections
Summary
Council approved changes to the city’s tree ordinance (M&C 25-0323) that city leaders described as strengthening protections and adding caps to deter clear-cutting on development sites.
The Fort Worth City Council approved changes to the city tree ordinance April 22 (M&C 25-0323), measures council leaders and staff said are intended to limit clearing of significant trees and strengthen canopy protections on development sites.
Mayor Pro Tem Bivens and supporting members praised staff and the development advisory committee for negotiating ordinance changes. Bivens said the revisions include caps and other measures intended to prevent clear-cutting and improve tree preservation; council member Beck and others thanked staff and community partners for the multi-year effort. City staff explained the revisions would establish new limits and caps (details of the specific cap amounts were not read into the record during the council discussion portion captured in the transcript).
Council members emphasized this ordinance as an improvement over previous rules and described it as an attempt to put stronger local protections in place. The council voted on the ordinance; the meeting record states “motion carries.” The transcript did not contain a roll-call vote or the ordinance’s exact code text; staff materials accompanying the item will have the full language and cap amounts.
Councilmembers also referenced the cooperative work of the development advisory committee and noted that the city’s urban forestry staff and other departments shepherded the revisions to the point of council adoption. Implementation steps and enforcement approaches were not detailed in the council remarks recorded in the meeting transcript.
