(A) General. The following restrictions shall apply to all residential development occurring in a wooded area.
(1) Structures shall be located in such a manner that the maximum number of trees shall be preserved.
(2) Prior to the granting of a building permit, it shall be the duty of the person seeking the permit to demonstrate that there are no feasible or prudent alternatives to the cutting of trees on the site and that if trees are cut, he or she will restore the density of trees to that which existed before development, but in no case shall he be compelled to raise the density above in ten trees per acre.
(3) Forestation, reforestation or landscaping shall utilize a variety of tree species and shall not utilize any species presently under disease epidemic. Species planted shall be hardy under local conditions and compatible with the local landscape.
(4) Development including grading and contouring shall take place in such a manner that the root zone aeration stability of existing trees shall not be affected and shall provide existing trees with a watering equal to one-half the crown area.
(B) Shoreland areas. The removal of natural vegetation shall be restricted to prevent erosion into public waters, to consume nutrients in the soil, and to preserve shoreland aesthetics. Clear-cutting shall be prohibited in the shore and bluff impact zones.
(C) Forest management standards. The harvesting of timber and associated reforestation or conversion of forested use to a non-forested use must be conducted consistent with the following standards:
(1) Timber harvesting and associated reforestation must be conducted consistent with the provisions of the state’s Non-Point Source Pollution Assessment-Forestry and the provisions of Water Quality in Forest Management Best Management Practices in Minnesota.
(2) When not part of a conditional or interim use permit otherwise required, forest land conversion to another use require issuance of an interim use permit and adherence to the following standards:
(a) Shore and bluff impact zones must not be intensively cleared of vegetation; and
(b) An erosion and sediment control plan is developed and approved by the local soil and water conservation district before issuance of an interim use permit for the conversion.
(3) Use of fertilizer, pesticides or animal wastes within shorelands must be done in such a way as to minimize impact on the shore impact zone or public water by proper application or use of earth or vegetation.
(Ord. 23-1, passed 5-2-2023)