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Lewisville staff propose tree-code changes, pilot 'Branch Out' program to grow canopy
Summary
City staff and university researchers recommended multiple updates to Lewisville's tree-related development rules and outlined two residential programs, including a paid rebate pathway and a free tree pilot in a high-need neighborhood funded from the city's tree mitigation fund.
Lewisville city staff and university researchers on May 2025 presented a package of proposed updates to the city's tree-protection ordinances and described two residential programs intended to expand the city's tree canopy.
The presentation, led by Stacy Anaya of the city's Parks and Recreation team and Dr. Lauren Fisher (University at Buffalo, formerly at UNT), recommended code changes to clarify what counts as replacement landscaping, lower the DBH threshold used for tree surveys, adopt a "heritage tree" designation, revise tree-preservation credit formulas, and raise mitigation fees that are currently $150 per caliper inch for protected trees.
The proposal matters because staff and researchers said current rules can unintentionally encourage developers to remove larger protected trees. Dr. Fisher told the council her team found that Lewisville's tree…
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