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Tree board to research coastal land-trust proposal and rental-fee idea; Bradford pear removal suggested
Summary
Members reviewed an email about a Coastal Land Trust-hosted program that would add a short-term rental surcharge (suggested $1/night) to fund coastal protection and possibly fund a Bradford (Callery) pear removal/replacement program; the board agreed to investigate feasibility and report back to the council.
The Town of Sunset Beach Tree Board received an email about a Coastal Land Trust program that combines a proposed accommodation surcharge for short-term rentals and an incentive to remove invasive Bradford (Callery) pear trees.
An ERC member described the model: towns add an extra charge ("a dollar" was cited in the meeting) to short-term rental fees and funnel that money to a coastal protection fund. "That money is then gathered into a pot and then donated...to help protect the shoreline," the ERC member said. The email also described collaboration with state agencies to encourage removal of Bradford pears and provide native replacements.
Board members expressed concern this kind of surcharge would increase costs for renters and may involve administrative complexity to implement (for example, changes to accommodation-tax mechanisms). The chair and other members agreed the concept required more investigation; they asked ERC and staff to identify whether Brunswick County or other nearby jurisdictions have an existing Bradford pear bounty, whether state or county grants could offset costs, and what administrative steps would be needed before any recommendation to the town council.
The board did not take formal action on the coastal land-trust proposal and instead decided tree-board members would gather more information and report back.
