Secondary and Cumulative Impacts Master Management Plan

Article 5: Development Standards

Section 5.4. Tree Protection

5.4.8. Mitigation for Tree Removal or Damage

Morrisville, NC

June 2013

Unified Development Ordinance - Public Hearing Draft

Page 5-11

the flexibility needed to accommodate compliance with the canopy tree retention standard

and specimen tree preservation requirement as well as other applicable regulations.

Replacement Trees Required

Each existing non-specimen tree with a DBH of ten inches or more that is removed pursuant to

a waiver or partial waiver of the minimum existing tree canopy retention standard shall be

replaced with one or more trees with a minimum caliper of two inches each and a cumulative

caliper equal to or greater than one and on-half times the DBH of the removed tree.

305

Each existing specimen tree that is removed pursuant to a waiver or partial waiver of the

specimen tree preservation requirement shall be replaced with one or more specimen trees

with a minimum caliper of five inches each and a cumulative caliper equal to or greater than

two times the DBH of the removed tree.

306

Required replacement tree(s) shall be planted and maintained in accordance with the

planting standards in Section 5.12.3, General Landscaping Standards, and shall comply with

the standards in subsection

below.

Tree Damage During Development

307

If a specimen tree or other existing tree to be preserved under the tree protection plan is

damaged during development of the development site, an ISA-certified arborist or registered

forester retained by the Town, at the expense of the applicant, shall assess the damage and

provide a written report to the Planning Director that documents the following:

Severity of the tree damage;

Determination on whether corrective measures can be taken to save the tree or whether the

tree has been damaged beyond repair; and

Any corrective measures recommended to ensure the tree‘s survival (e.g., pruning damage to

tree canopy, root pruning, fertilization, soil enhancements for damage to tree roots, and

application of irrigation to compensate for root loss).

If the ISA-certified arborist or registered forester determines that the tree can survive with

corrective measures, the applicant shall promptly have recommended corrective actions

undertaken by an ISA-certified arborist.

If the ISA-certified arborist or registered forester determines that a tree has been damaged

beyond repair, the tree shall be replaced with one or more trees that shall comply with the

standards in subsection

below and the following standards:

Each non-specimen tree damaged beyond repair shall be replaced with one or more trees

with a minimum caliper of two inches each and a cumulative caliper equal to or greater than

one and on-half times the DBH of the removed tree.

Each specimen tree damaged beyond repair shall be replaced with one or more specimen

trees with a minimum caliper of five inches each and a cumulative caliper equal to or greater

than two times the DBH of the removed tree.

305

The tree survey requires an estimate of the number of trees in a stand of trees and the proposed size threshold should make it

relatively easy to identify the number of removed trees. The proposed replacement tree standards require full replacement in

terms of total DBH, but recognizing that nurseries generally stock only smaller young trees, allow one mature removed tree to be

replaced with multiple young trees of a set minimum size.

306

As further incentive for developers to explore all alternatives before removing a specimen tree, this provision doubles the

general replacement tree requirement and substantially increases the minimum size of replacement tree required.

307

This carries forward the tree damage provisions in Section 8.2 and part of Section 8.3 of the Town staff‘s draft tree protection

regulations.