Ecological Stewardship Planning
It all starts with nature. The Collaborative’s trademarked Change for Good® approach produces plans and designs from the ground up that serve to sustain and grow healthy, equitable, and environmentally sound communities.
Tree Conservation Ordinance and Arboriculture Program
City of Sandy Springs, GA
The Collaborative oversaw the arborist and arboriculture program for the City of Sandy Springs, GA from 2011 to 2019. This included overseeing the City’s Tree Conservation Ordinance, Tree Bank, Tree Planting Program, and arborist inspection services.
The Tree Conservation Ordinance is based on Fulton County’s Tree Protection Ordinance. This was developed under the supervision of Angela Parker, the Collaborative’s Atlanta-office Vice President. Subsequently, the Collaborative staff incorporated the ordinance into a Unified Development Code and Tree Ordinance Manual.
Notable elements of the Tree Conservation Ordinance include a residential lot minimum requirement of canopy coverage, tree removal and replacement guidelines, Landmark Tree regulations, and canopy preservation requirements. For example, if any healthy tree (including Landmark Trees) is removed and causes the tree canopy to fall below the residential lot minimum requirement of 35 percent, either new trees must be planted or a payment must made to the City’s Tree Bank for a new tree. Landmark Trees must be replaced at 150 percent of the lost canopy.
The Collaborative arborist Michael Barnett measures caliper of a “landmark tree” requiring mitigation under Tree Conservation Ordinance.
Citywide GIS map shows new trees planted by type, size, and other characteristics
Specification from Tree Ordinance Manual
i View, download, and/or print this project summary.
