HomeMy WebLinkAboutTree Ordinance Survey PRContact: Debbie Townsend, Communications Coordinator
Phone 952-826-0346 • dtownsend@EdinaMN.gov • EdinaMN.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feedback Sought on Ordinance Designed to Preserve Trees
Edina, Minn., April 10, 2024 – Edina residents and people who work in or visit the community are encouraged to participate in a survey on the City’s tree ordinance.
The 10-question survey asks for feedback on tree preservation and the replacement requirements in the ordinance if trees are removed during a residential building or construction project.
It also asks participants to rank which types of projects should have the highest tree replacement requirements.
The current Tree Protection Ordinance, which went into effect Jan. 1, 2023, aims to protect well-established and healthy trees and preserve the nature, character and beauty provided
by Edina’s tree canopy for generations to come. The ordinance also accounts for and mitigates the loss of trees and wildlife habitat on sites of development and redevelopment.
It requires residential building applications to submit plans for tree preservation and tree removal during construction. If trees covered by the ordinance are removed, an escrow amount
must be paid based on the size and species of the removed trees before a building permit will be issued.
Half the escrow is returned upon project completion, provided the tree plan is followed. The other half is released three years later, after a site inspection to confirm the trees are
healthy and well established.
In the ordinance’s first year, 1,957 trees were preserved and 356 were removed. The total escrow held was $490,801.
Community responses to the survey will be provided to the City Council at its May 7 work session during its review of the ordinance.
To learn more and take the survey, visit EdinaMN.gov/TreeOrdinance.
The survey closes April 28.
For more information, contact Forester Luther Overholt at LOverholt@EdinaMN.gov or
952-826-0308.
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