Sacramento – City of Trees

The Sacramento City Council adopted a new tree ordinance on August 4.   The adopted ordinance and related information can be found on the City of Sacramento Permits and Ordinances page.

I know that we all value the tree canopy which adds so much to our environment.  When I first moved into my 1926-built home in the McKinley Park neighborhood there was no air-conditioning – but we managed to be comfortable most of the time because of the large trees in both the front yard and back – and the Delta breeze.   If the Delta breeze was absent – and there were several triple-digit days in a row – it would get rather uncomfortable.

When I had to replace my original 1926 furnace it only made sense money-wise to add air conditioning at the same time I replaced the heating unit.  I use my A/C sparingly, but I admit I would use it less if it were not for my dog.

I currently maintain the two large trees on my property.  It is not inexpensive removing the mistletoe from the Arizona ash tree as needed and keeping both the ash and sycamore thinned and trimmed every three or four years to maintain tree health and public safety.

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Interested to know more about the new tree ordinance, I reviewed the ordinance and permit process, as well as the concerns expressed by various neighborhood organizations.

The central point of concern of neighborhood organizations is that Sacramento has actually lost tree canopy coverage – more than a 15 percent decline between 1994 and 2014 – despite thousands of new trees being planted.

The new ordinance is an improvement in several regards.  Streamlining and combining several related ordinances into one makes it easier to understand, and adding protections for trees located in city parks only makes sense.  I was more than surprised, in fact, to learn that city park trees were not covered previously.

If you have trees on your property you will want to review the new ordinance to understand how it may impact you.  I learned, for example that both of my trees are now “private protected trees”.

As my neighbor’s and I regularly maintain our trees I anticipate that our activity falls under the definition of “minor pruning” and “routine maintenance” – so no direct impact in this instance.

However, I can envision a variety of activities homeowners may want to undertake that may now fall under the definition of “regulated work” and require a tree permit.

Updating Sacramento’s 1994 Urban Forestry Management Plan will be the next step taken – and I for one plan to keep an eye on that process.

Comments on the Sacramento Tree Ordinance or the Urban Forestry Management Plan Update?

If you were involved in the development of the new tree ordinance – please share your thoughts on what needs to be done next during the Urban Forestry Management Plan Update.

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