FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Rick Joyce, Lee County Community Development,
(941) 479-8182
LEE COUNTY SEEKS COMPLIANCE WITH TREE TRIMMING REGULATIONS
FORT MYERS, Fla. (December 6, 2000) – The rising incidence of excessive pruning of trees throughout unincorporated Lee County is prompting county commissioners and code enforcers to request that businesses and landscapers familiarize themselves with county tree maintenance requirements.
The Board of Lee County Commissioners discussed the issue at its December 4th, Management & Planning meeting and gave county staff its full backing to strictly enforce the Lee County Land Development Code’s tree maintenance requirements. To view the full text of the regulation, click here at:
The requirements apply mostly to industrial, commercial and multi-family residential development projects and specify that trees must not be severely pruned to permanently maintain growth at a reduced height or spread. Instead, vegetation may only be pruned to promote healthy, uniform, natural growth of the vegetation, except where necessary to promote health, safety and welfare. Generally, these pruning standards do not apply to single-family residential home sites, although the standards also are valuable to trees on these sites.
Both retained and new trees provide breaks in the urban landscape and offer many benefits, including providing oxygen, conserving energy, filtering water, creating a cool canopy, absorbing noise, reducing glare, creating areas for wildlife and increasing property values.
Tree topping and severe crown pruning practices are a threat to trees. This type of pruning is also known as hat racking, balling, rounding over, poodle tailing and lollipopping. The practice shears off the top part of the tree crown regardless of branching structure causing dense new growth that is weakly attached. Some topped trees are so severely injured they must be replaced.
Some businesses complain that trees decrease visibility to their establishments, but appropriate plant selection can help in this regard and, according to county standards, a new or existing plant’s potential growth must be considered in advance of conflicts that might arise due to development. County Environmental Sciences staff always is willing to work with property owners to address visibility and landscape requirements.
"Hopefully we can stop the problem with increased education instead of enforcement," says Rick Joyce, deputy director of Lee County’s Planning Division. However, citations can be given on an individual tree basis and fines are $100 for the first occurrence, $200 for the second and $500 thereafter.
For information about plant selection, tree protection and pruning, you can contact Lee County’s Division of Planning, Environmental Sciences Program, at 479-8585 or Lee County Extension Services at 338-3232.