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Environmental committee readies Chapter 23 presentation, approves heritage‑tree application
Summary
At its Feb. 25 meeting the Environmental Stewardship Committee prioritized heritage and canopy trees in a planned joint workshop on Chapter 23, proposed sending a resolution to staff to explore tactics to prevent clear‑cutting, and voted to approve a specific heritage‑tree application.
The Environmental Stewardship Committee on Feb. 25 moved to prioritize protections for large canopy and heritage trees as part of a planned joint workshop on Chapter 23 and voted to approve a specific heritage‑tree application.
Anastasia Houston told the committee the community’s top concern is preserving heritage trees and urged the group to use that momentum to strengthen code language on canopy percentage and limits on clear‑cutting. "The larger trees are what got the community's attention," Houston said.
Members debated scope and timing: some urged a concise one‑pager and presentation to the commission for March to keep the message focused, while others urged fleshing out technical code language before asking the commission to act. Staff said detailed legal and technical work will be required to translate a conceptual protection for setback trees into enforceable code changes.
The committee also discussed a narrow conceptual resolution to protect trees in setback areas and agreed it should be refined with staff. Committee members then moved, seconded and approved a motion to submit the heritage‑tree tactics for staff consideration and separately approved a heritage‑tree application presented at the meeting; the latter motion passed on an aye vote.
Members also discussed operability of the tree fund and the need to align the committee’s action spending plan with the stated priorities, and they agreed to prepare clearer budget language and SMART goals for commission consideration. Several members recommended modest education/outreach funding to support implementation (suggested $2,500–$5,000) and to help publicize recent actions such as the mayor's "Lights Out" proclamation.
What happens next: staff will work with committee members to translate the committee’s priorities into a concise one‑pager and a presentation for the commission; staff will also review and refine draft code language for setbacks and heritage‑tree protections and will report back at the committee’s next meeting.
