Committee holds tree protection ordinance after extended public testimony

The Community Development and Human Services Committee on March 21 held a proposed citywide tree protection ordinance after extensive public testimony and additional NPU (neighborhood planning unit) review.

Supporters and conservation groups pressed the council to adopt the ordinance intact, saying Atlanta’s canopy is shrinking and that the preservation standard in the draft is urgently needed. “We are rapidly losing trees and each cut down takes decades to replace,” testified Rachel Carroll of Trees Atlanta. Corina Newsome, a wildlife biologist, told the committee the canopy is critical for public health and wildlife habitat: “Trees provide shelter from extreme weather…Without a robust tree canopy, energy costs will soar.”

Speakers representing…