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Below is some informative text, however if you know what you want you may choose the appropriate link and jump to:
Tree Protection Ordinances
Trees, like water and air, are a natural resource that benefit everyone in a community. We benefit from trees several blocks away, and our neighbors depend on the trees in our yards for shade and enjoyment. We are all happier with beautiful trees in our neighborhoods. It can be difficult at times to balance the tree needs of an individual with the tree needs of his or her community, but several counties and cities have come up with tree ordinances to help ensure this balance.
Most Atlanta counties and incorporated municipalities have some type of tree ordinance, However, these can vary widely from one area to another. A good tree ordinance should
- Protect existing trees and older "specimen" trees, not just require replanting to "replace" trees cut down.
- Focus on planning for tree save areas at the earliest stages of the development process, not as an unfeasible afterthought. A tree plan should be submitted at the same time as the development plat.
- Require planting shade trees in parking lots and along streets where appropriate. Parking lots contribute greatly to the "heat island effect" and should be planted with shade trees to offset this problem. Street trees are also important, but large overstory trees, such as oaks and maples, should not be planted directly under power lines where they will not be allowed to achieve their shade or aesthetic potential.
- Protect trees from unnecessary damage during construction.
- Require sufficient amounts of replanting when trees must be cut down.
- Require that trees along public streets are pruned in a healthy and
aesthetic manner.
- Have the goal of no net loss of trees over time in the area. Return to Top
Tree Ordinances are enforced by both cities and counties so if you live within the limits of any city you need to contact your city council members, but if you live in an unincorporated portion of the county you will need to contact your County Commissioners. When you call the number listed under Political Representative ask for your representative and be prepared to provide your address. Always talk to more than one commissioner or city council member. Extension agents are available by counties, even if you live in an incorporated area within the County.
Though you may have a good tree ordinance for your county or municipality, most local governments can only afford one or possibly two arborists on staff, so good stewardship and enforcement of our tree ordinances depends on citizen involvement. If you believe trees are being cut down or damaged inappropriately in your neighborhood call your county or city arborist and your county commissioners or city council members. Otherwise no one may ever know there is a problem. Follow these steps to report problems with trees in your neighborhood.
- Call your city or county arborist (listed below)
- Call your county commissioners or city council members, and your mayor. Call more than one person and keep a list of your calls.
- If you report a flagrant violation and staff response is slow, call the press, especially local papers such as the extras and neighborhood papers, and your local TV station.
Of course it's best to get involved before trees are cut down. Your neighborhood association should keep informed especially of zoning changes and applications for development in your area. Watch for postings for new zonings, variances or tree removals, however these may not accurately indicate the true status of a project. Appeals can save trees and improve landscaping plans if done early enough. Return to Top
When trees have been cut down, it may be in violation of a tree protection ordinance. A good rule of thumb is to report it if more than 75% of the trees have been cleared on a site, or if large older individual trees have been or are scheduled to be cut. Some ordinances, such as in Fulton and DeKalb counties, require the County Arborist's approval before cutting down very large "specimen" trees. Other ordinances have no protections at all for existing trees of any size. It is important to know what's legal and what's not according to the tree ordinance for your area. For instance, in unincorporated DeKalb County, developers must leave, per acre, 120 diameter inches of trees which are at least eight inches in diameter or larger on all new development sites. Homeowners have an exemption and may cut down five trees, as long as they are not large specimen trees, per year on their property. In the City of Atlanta, there is no requirement to save existing trees per se, but developers or homeowners must receive a permit to remove any tree over six inches in diameter. In Cobb County, any tree can be cut
down, but new trees must be replanted to "replace" the tree. To find out what's in your tree ordinance call your arborist. Return to Top
Attitude Is Important
If you see trees in your neighborhood cut down you may become angry. This is not effective. To be effective at saving trees you must be persistent, but also courteous to your representatives and county or city staff. Most officials want to be helpful, so ask them how you can follow up with the situation you are presenting. Follow up is essential!!! If the person you are speaking with is not helpful, ask for someone else. Often you will need to call back numerous times to get in touch with the appropriate person in person. Just remember that whole ordinances have been created to protect trees and there is always an answer to your question. As you and others take notice, so will our public officials and employees.
How can you help create a stronger Tree Protection and Preservation Ordinance in your community?
Your organized, involved support! Talk to your county commissioners or city council members. These elected officials are here to help and can introduce new laws for your city or county. Making changes to a tree ordinance can take weeks or months, so it's best not to wait until trees are about to be cut down before speaking to your commissioners. Remember, each call you make is a vote for tree preservation and protection. Your city or county officials need to know you care. Phone numbers for all relevant county and city officials are listed below.
- For a listing of some of the country's best tree ordinances go to www.isa-arbor.com/tree-ord/ordintro.htm
- The National Arbor Day Foundation has several bulletins on how to write a tree ordinance for your community. Contact at 1-888-448-7337 or www.arborday.org.
- The Georgia Forestry Commission also publishes a guide to writing tree ordinances. Contact main office in Macon, GA 912-751-3500. Atlanta office:404-294-3550. Return to Top
County Arborist and Political Representative Phone Numbers
| County |
County Arborist Contact
|
Political Representative |
| Clayton |
Mike Alexander, 770.477.3678 |
770.473.5450 |
| Cobb |
Les Brewer, 770.528.2124 |
770.528.8600 |
| Cherokee |
Christine White, 770.720.3076 |
770.479.0449 |
| Cowetta |
No Tree Protection Ordinance
|
770.254.2601 |
| DeKalb |
Tom Clairborne,404.371.4913 |
404.371.2886 |
| Fulton |
Gene Calloway, 404.730.7531 |
404.730.8200 |
| Gwinnett |
Wayne Ledford, 770.822.7652 |
770.822.7000 |
| Henry |
Dale Hall, 770.954.2457 |
770.471-7828 |
Other Contacts for Tree Protection
Georgia Power Arborist, Scott Sauder 404-522-7765
Trees Atlanta, 404-522-4097, www.treesatlanta.org
Blair Belton's Website, www.mindspring.com/~bbelton/zoning/
City Arborist and Commissioner Phone Numbers
| City |
City Arborist Contact
|
Political Representative |
| Alpharetta |
Jennifer Hite, 678.297.6200 |
678.297.6003 |
| Atlanta |
Frank Mobley, 404.817.6814 |
404.330.6030 |
| Chamblee |
Will Wiggins, 770.986.5024 |
770.986.5010 |
| Clarkston |
Bill Adams, 404.296.6489 |
404.296.6489 |
| College Park |
Don Shannon,404.669.3762 |
404.669.3755 |
| Conyers |
None
|
770.929.4226 |
| Decatur |
Hugh Saxon, 404.370.4104 |
404.370.4102 |
| Duluth |
Ken Seddarth, 770.476.1790 |
770.476.3434 |
| East Point |
Tahirah Elliot,404.209.5183 |
404.765.1020 |
| Fayetteville |
Maurice Ungaro,770.460.4255 |
770.461.6029 |
| Lithonia |
Karen Smith, 770.482.8136 |
770.482.8136 |
| Marietta |
Rusty Roth, 770.794.5670 |
770.794.5526 |
| Newnan |
Michael Furbush,770.253.2682 |
770.253.2682 |
| Norcross |
John Lawler, 770.448.4935 |
770.448.2122 |
| Pine Lake |
Mavis Crossley, 404.292.4250 |
404.292.4250 |
| Roswell |
Kurt Greenhaw,770.641.3780 |
770.641.3757 |
| Smyrna |
Robin Broil,770.319.5387 |
770.434.6600 |
| Snellville |
Jeff Timler, 770.985.3514 |
770.985.3500 |
| Stone Mountain |
None
|
770.498.8984 |
Other Contacts for Tree Protection
Georgia Power Arborist, Scott Sauder 404-522-7765
Trees Atlanta, 404-522-4097, www.treesatlanta.org
Blair Belton's Website, www.mindspring.com/~bbelton/zoning/
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County Extension Service Phone Numbers
| Clayton |
770.473.5450 |
| Cobb |
770.528.4070 |
| Cherokee |
770.479.0418 |
| Cowetta |
770.254.3785 |
| DeKalb |
404.371.2821 |
| Fulton |
770.551.7670 |
| Gwinnett |
678.377.4010 |
| Henry |
770.954.2060 |
| Rockdale |
770.785.5952 |
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