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Effingham County advances tree-protection ordinance with new pre‑clearing and clear‑cut rules
Summary
Planners presented new rules to stop pre‑development clear cutting, require at least 10% canopy retention (or restoration), mandate a 3:1 mitigation replanting ratio or payment to a tree fund, and set fines and stop-work orders for violations; commissioners approved the first reading with agreed clarifications on penalties and the tree-fund uses.
Effingham County planning staff presented a multi-part amendment to Part 2, Chapter 30, Article 10 of the county code that would tighten tree-protection requirements and add enforcement tools aimed at preventing premature clearing ahead of development.
Planner Jennifer Rose told commissioners the amendment adds Section 4-10 (pre-clearing restrictions and mitigation) and Section 4-11 (clear-cutting regulations). The pre-clearing rules would prohibit removal of trees and topsoil in anticipation of development before zoning, subdivision or land-disturbance approval; unauthorized activity would trigger county-manager-issued stop-work orders and permit suspensions. Violators would be required to…
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