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Apex advisory board urges stronger tree protections, staff to study UDO changes
Summary
The Environmental Advisory Board presented prioritized recommendations to preserve Apex’s urban canopy—ranging from a heritage‑tree program and stronger root‑zone protections to a tree‑mitigation fund and an urban forester—and asked council to set priorities for UDO amendments.
The Environmental Advisory Board presented a package of recommendations to the Apex Town Council on strengthening tree protections, saying the town lost roughly 2,180 acres of canopy between 2010 and 2020 and that the canopy delivers substantial ecosystem value.
Bruce, a member of the Environmental Advisory Board, opened the presentation and said the board’s work includes early recommendations the council can prioritize for further research. Nora, speaking for the board’s Tree Canopy Subcommittee, told the council the Wake County analysis showed a roughly 15% decline in canopy and estimated the town’s trees provide about $131,000,000 in ecosystem services (about $1,321 per resident based on a 2020 population of roughly 58,000).
Why it matters: councilors and staff said canopy loss is linked to increased urban heat and stormwater…
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