A. Statement of Purpose. The purpose of this Section is to recognize the services and function that trees provide as a collective asset to the entire community, to acknowledge that the urban forest is an integral part of the infrastructure in the Village, and to state the standards by which trees on public lands will be protected, preserved, maintained, and planted. This Article IV applies to any work or activity that may impact public property trees.
B. Definitions.
ARBORIST: | Any individual who possesses education, training and experience in the profession of forestry or a related field and is licensed or certified in forestry by an accredited forestry industry body, e.g. International Society of Arboriculture. |
BUILDING ACTIVITY AREA: | The portion of a property within which development activity occurs, including grading, excavation, storage of materials, construction access and construction of both main buildings and unattached structures. |
CANOPY: | The upper portion of a tree, also referred to as the "crown", where branches and leaves are usually contained. |
CUTTING: | Felling or removing a tree, or any similar process resulting in the death or substantial destruction of a tree. For purposes of this Section, tree pruning or tree trimming utilizing acceptable forestry practices are not considered cutting. |
DEVELOPMENT: | Any human-made change to improved or unimproved real estate, including but not limited to construction of or substantial improvements to buildings or other structures, or the placement of mining, dredging, filling, grading, paving, excavation, or drilling operations. |
DIAMETER AT BREAST HEIGHT: | A forestry standard measurement, referred to as "DBH". It is the diameter of the trunk of the tree measured in inches at a point of 4.5 feet above ground line. |
INFRASTRUCTURE: | The basic underlying framework or features that provide collective services, including but not limited to roads, waterlines, storm sewers, bioswales, and trees. |
INVASIVE SPECIES: | An introduced or exotic species that significantly modifies or disrupts the ecosystem in which it colonizes (e.g. buckthorn), identified in the Village Urban Forest Management Plan. |
LANDSCAPE PLAN: | A plan approved by the Village that defines the location and species of plants and associated hardscape, including grading, and is consistent with the requirements of Appendix A (Unified Development Ordinance), Article VI-D (Landscape Plan) of the Code of Ordinances. |
PREFERRED TREE LIST: | A listing of tree species, identified in the Village Urban Forest Management Plan. |
PUBLIC TREE: | Any tree on a street right-of-way, public park, or other publicly owned land. |
TREE: | Any self-supporting woody plant, together with its root system, trunk, and canopy growing upon the earth; usually with one trunk, or a multi-stemmed trunk system, supporting a definitely formed crown. |
TREE DAMAGE (DAMAGE): | The impact upon or loss of function to any tree including but not limited to: removal, root compaction, root removal, girdling, soil contamination, topping, pruning more than twenty (20) percent of the tree's canopy, bark removal, poisoning, and/or other actions resulting in the decline or death of a tree. |
TREE PRESERVATION PLAN: | A document, developed in compliance with the Urban Forest Management Plan that identifies by both common and scientific name, certain species of trees of a specified DBH within a particular area. It shall list all existing and proposed trees and specifically state how each tree is proposed to be destroyed, relocated, replaced, preserved at its present location, or introduced into the site from an off-site source; whether any tree is to receive remedial care due to construction impacts, e.g. root pruning. |
TREE REMOVAL: | The cutting down, destruction or by any like means the relocating of any tree, including by poison or other such direct or indirect action. |
TREE TOPPING: | The indiscriminate removal of branch ends, which is likely to injure and ultimately result in early failure or death of a tree. |
URBAN FOREST MANAGEMENT PLAN: | A detailed plan developed and approved by the Village Council, under the direction of a certified arborist or forester, that outlines strategies for tree planting, selection, care, and preservation for the Village's urban forest under recognized national standards.
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C. Preservation.
1. A certified arborist shall oversee any urban forestry work completed by a contractor on Village property within the Village. The Director of Public Works shall be responsible for the enforcement of and compliance with the Urban Forest Management Plan.
2. The Village shall keep in a current state, in accordance to the Urban Forest Management Plan, an inventory of publicly owned trees.
3. Tree preservation, maintenance, and removal standards shall be in accordance with nationally recognized standards, such as the American National Safety Institute (ANSI A300 and ANSI Z133), International Society of Arboriculture, and/or National Association of Nurserymen.
4. The Village shall maintain, as the framework for the protection, management, and planting of public trees within the Village an approved Urban Forest Management Plan, which shall support and clearly define regulations identified in the Tree Preservation Ordinance. This plan shall include the following:
a. A ten (10)-year urban forestry strategy with clearly identified one (1), five (5), and ten (10) year goals;
b. Community canopy mapping that identifies existing tree canopy and priority planting locations;
c. A strategy for maintaining the public property tree inventory;
d. Guidelines on relevant tree species and age diversity;
e. Identification of replacement value and criteria for what allows for tree removal or and what constitutes damage;
f. A preferred tree list.
g. Specifications for tree planting, pruning, and impact reduction;
h. A risk assessment and management program;
i. A strategy for establishment, management, preservation, and protection of naturalized areas;
j. Defined staff qualifications, training regimen, support systems and any other like needs;
k. Specifications for contracted labor and consulting;
l. Identification of forestry equipment and resource needs; and
m. A commitment to support urban forestry operations through the annual budget process and the five-year capital improvements plan.
5. Any Contractor, working within the Village who will impact trees on Village public property shall utilize a certified arborist on site for any work pertaining to trees, including but not limited to removal, pruning and planting activities. Contractors shall also submit a certificate of insurance that is in compliance with current Village insurance carrier guidelines.
6. All tree planting, selection and management of trees on public property shall be in compliance with the Urban Forest Management Plan.
7. It is recognized that diverse species and age structure of urban trees throughout the Village are critical to the health of the forest structure and protects the Village from catastrophic loss and improves longevity. Specifications for species and age diversity, planting and management of urban trees shall be addressed in the Urban Forest Management Plan.
D. Sourcing. Trees shall be sourced from the Illinois Department of Agriculture approved nurseries and grown to meet the most current national recognized nursery standards in keeping with the Urban Forest Management Plan.
E. Planting.
1. The Village shall plant diverse species with the ratio of not more than fifteen (15) percent of any one family, ten (10) percent of any one genus or five (5) percent of any one species, with the exception of naturalized areas where species selections shall be in accordance with natural species assemblages as defined in the Urban Forest Management Plan. Diverse species composition protects the Village from catastrophic loss.
2. Trees shall be planted in accordance with the most current nationally recognized standards, e.g. the International Society of Arboriculture or American National Standards Institute (ANSI), to which the Urban Forest Management Plan shall adhere.
3. All trees planted by the Village or their agent shall be planted in accordance with the Urban Forest Management Plan.
4. Trees purchased by the Village shall meet the specifications set forth in the Urban Forest Management Plan.
F. Tree Care. Tree care given upon public lands within the Village shall comply with requirements identified in the Urban Forest Management Plan.
1. Said care shall be given accordance with the most current nationally recognized standards such as the International Society of Arboriculture or American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and occur at every seven (7) years or less.
2. Trees shall be pruned in accordance with the most current nationally recognized standards, e.g. the International Society of Arboriculture or American National Standards Institute (ANSI A300 and ANSI Z133).
G. Tree Protection. Tree removals have an impact on the entire Village, whether on public or private land. It is clearly documented that larger trees provide larger benefits. It is recognized that the planting of smaller trees does not replace the value of larger trees that are lost. It will take tens of years for that value to be replaced and, for that reason, efforts should be made to preserve and protect trees where they are growing.
1. Any public or private new development or existing site improvement that may affect public property trees is subject to a Landscape Plan consistent any existing Code or Ordinance of the Village. Said plan shall incorporate a tree preservation and/or replacement plan. Said plan must be submitted, approved, and implemented prior to the start of any work or delivery of any materials to the Building Activity Area.
2. A certified arborist shall be consulted before any permits are issued on properties where the building activity area may have any impact on public trees. Compliance with the requirement for a landscape plan shall be limited to public trees.
3. Tree Topping is expressly prohibited upon trees on public property / public right of ways.
H. Tree Removal and Replacement.
1. Tree removal shall be in accordance with the most current nationally recognized standards, e.g. the International Society of Arboriculture or American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
2. Any tree impacted or likely to be impacted by utility or infrastructure work or public/private construction projects will be assessed by a certified arborist to determine if remedial action can be taken to mitigate the impact or if tree removal and replacement will be necessary. A written permit issued by the Director of Public Works will be required to be issued for any removal of a tree that is located upon public land or public right of way related to any private utility related or private party construction project.
Any tree removed by the Village shall be documented, said documentation shall contain a plan and calculated Village budget allocation to be requested for its replacement. Tree replacement shall be subject to the Acceptable Species List as set forth in the Urban Forest Management Plan and approval by a certified arborist.
3. Any tree removed by any private utility or private party shall be documented, said documentation shall contain a plan for tree replacement. Tree replacement shall be subject to the Acceptable Species List as set forth in the Urban Forest Management Plan and approval by a certified arborist. A minimum of two (2) trees of two and a half inches (2.5") DBH shall be the required replacement for each removed tree up to thirty inches (30") DBH; three (3) trees of two and a half inches (2.5") DBH shall be the required replacement for each removed tree between thirty inches (30") DBH and forty inches (40") DBH; and, four (4) trees of two and a half inches (2.5") DBH shall be the required replacement for each tree greater than forty inches (40") DBH. Go the greatest extent possible and where permissible/practicable, trees shall be replaced onsite.
4. All tree replacements shall be completed within the landscape season. In the event that weather conditions or species specific needs prohibit landscape season completion, replacement shall be postponed until either the season or conditions are appropriate.
5. Any public tree removal for utility or infrastructure work/replacement or public construction projects shall comply with the standards established by any applicable existing Code or Ordinance of the Village, or a fee-in-lieu of planting paid that reflects the replacement cost's fair market value.
6. All monies received as a fee-in-lieu of planting or as payment of a penalty for damage to a public tree shall be paid to a tree contributions account established by the Village. Such funds shall be disbursed only for tree acquisition and planting on public lands/rights-of-way.
7. All tree replacement plantings shall require and heed, prior to planting, an underground utility location, including but not limited to JULIE.
I. Removal Plan for Significant Removals for Construction or Development. An applicant seeking significant public tree removals or tree removal and/or planting of public trees in relation to private construction and/or development shall comply with all requirements of any existing Code or Ordinance of the Village.
J. Recreation Board. The Village hereby proclaims that the Recreation Board shall be a recommending body to provide assistance, direction, and advice to the Village regarding the preservation, planting, management, and protection of trees. The Recreation Board shall provide advice concerning the implementation and refinements of and to the Urban Forest Management Plan. (Ord. O-33-19, 10-28-2019; amd. Ord. O-28-22, 6-27-2022)