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Commission hears first reading of county tree‑canopy ordinance amid calls to raise mitigation cap
Summary
Pasco County held the first hearing on a comprehensive update to tree‑preservation rules, including a proposed 20% canopy preservation requirement and a $3,500 per upland‑developable‑acre cap on mitigation fees. Public commenters and several commissioners urged removing or raising the cap and expanding native‑species lists; staff agreed to return with options at the Feb. 17 adoption hearing.
The Pasco County Board took public comment and discussed a first reading of a comprehensive rewrite of the county’s tree‑preservation code (LDC Section 802). Staff presented the proposal as a combination of new canopy‑preservation standards, revised tree‑removal rules, and a payment‑in‑lieu formula tied to a mitigation fund.
Amanda Hill, a county planner, summarized the key components: a proposed requirement that developments preserve 20% of the total inches of existing tree…
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