Committee urges review of tree ordinance, eyes Charleston-style measures and incentives

The Clemson Sustainability Committee’s tree-preservation subcommittee recommended a substantive review and redraft of the city’s tree ordinance, proposing a mix of stronger protections and incentive-based measures to preserve canopy and protect trees near development.

Members discussed models from other jurisdictions, citing Charleston and Port Royal as examples of differing approaches. Committee members said the city currently has a commercial tree ordinance but no comprehensive private-tree ordinance; they discussed a permit threshold tied to trunk diameter, replacement-tree requirements, and fines or in-lieu payments for unauthorized removals. One member described the Charleston/Johns Island-style approach that requires replacement plantings and may require three replacement trees for a removed specimen above a stated caliper.

Speakers noted several implementation issues: the ordinance would have to balance private-property rights, safety exceptions for dead or imminently failing trees, and the administrative burden on staff to inspect trees and process permits. The committee also discussed voluntary conservation tools: a resident could protect trees in perpetuity via deed restriction or a trust, which several speakers called an option that the city could better publicize. Members raised practical concerns, including whether arborist reports and permit costs would place a burden on homeowners and how root-zone protections would be enforced when development occurs adjacent to private lots.

Committee members proposed steps: the subcommittee will redline the existing ordinance rather than drafting from scratch, identify three to six priority changes and prepare an initial draft for review by the full committee in March. The group said they will invite the city engineer (Nathan Hinkle) and urban forestry staff (Nathan Woods) to discuss technical and site-specific constraints once the subcommittee completes its redline.