It shall be unlawful for any person to top any public tree. "Topping" is defined in the ANSI A300 (Part 1)-2001 Pruning standard as: “4.46 topping: The reduction of a tree’s size using heading cuts that shorten limbs or branches back to a predetermined crown limit. Topping is not an acceptable practice (5.57).” Other names for topping include “heading,” “tipping,” “hat-racking,” “shaping,” and “rounding over.” Topping is harmful to the health of a tree and can lead to decay, rapid re-growth and hazardous limbs. “Crown Reduction” is an acceptable practice to reduce the size of a tree’s canopy when done in accordance with ANSI A300 standards. “Restoration” pruning may be used to repair the canopy of a tree that has been damaged by storms, previous improper pruning or other means. It is recommended that an arborist certified by the ISA perform any major pruning. When a tree’s size, location or other factor prevents correct pruning practices, removal and/or replacement with a more suitable species is encouraged. More information can be found at the City’s Tree Board website at http://www.bgky.org/tree/topping.php.
(Ord. BG2004-21, 5/4/2004; Ord. BG2011-4, 2/1/2011)