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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 canopy for trees 10 inches DBH and larger (measured by DBH), exemptions for small commercial sites, minor rural subdivisions and bona‑fide agricultural lands, and a new credit system that could reduce required payments by up to 75% for enhanced protection such as preserving heritage trees or canopy adjacent to active recreation areas. Hill told the board the draft also includes a cap on the maximum contribution to the tree mitigation fund equal to $3,500 per upland developable acre, and staff will evaluate how fees should be set (by resolution or ordinance) prior to the next hearing.
Public commenters and several commissioners urged stronger protections or a much higher mitigation cap. Multiple speakers asked to remove the cap or raise it to $10,000 per acre; residents and advocates emphasized native species lists, irrigation and enforcement to prevent clear‑cutting prior to rezoning. Julia Bartunick and Nancy Hazelwood were among those asking for a higher fee cap and for exemptions for minor rural subdivisions to be reconsidered.
County attorneys and staff said the fee schedule can be managed by resolution to allow regular adjustments, but they will return with options — including eliminating the cap, increasing it, or tying adjustments to inflation — at the next adoption hearing scheduled for Feb. 17, 2026. The board accepted public comment and directed staff to bring back revised language and fee options for consideration.
