Forester documents large tree clearing at Royal Road data‑center site, urges enforcement and mitigation

The city’s forester reported Feb. 4 that a large tract of trees along Royal Road—part of a planned data-center site—was cleared before the forester could complete an inventory, and he urged the city to document losses and pursue mitigation.

Phil Graff told the board that engineers’ GIS maps previously showed several trees on the site; when he arrived some tree stands and road-front trees were gone with no stumps, making post‑hoc documentation difficult. He said he has since documented the area and will extrapolate the number, species and sizes of trees removed to compute an appropriate compensation figure, which may include a multiplier to account for additional acreage cut before inspection.

Graff recommended taking the issue to the director of public works and the city attorney to determine enforcement options and possible fines, and he said the board should require a permit-linked trigger so foresters can inspect sites before tree removal occurs. Board members said the developers had presented planting plans to city council that did not match what happened on the ground.

The forester said that when large developers clear before review it undermines the city’s ability to document baseline conditions and enforce mitigation. He proposed cross‑department coordination to ensure building‑permit or MS4 workflows flag projects for pre‑clearance review.

The board did not take formal enforcement action at the meeting but agreed to work with public works and planning staff to pursue remedies.

Next step: forester will provide documented species and size data to public works and city legal staff for follow-up.