Evanston has long thought of itself (and has been designated) as a Tree City. It is widely recognized that the presence of trees enhances both the quality of life and property values in Evanston. Therefore, it is a little surprising that, unlike most of the other north shore and northwest Chicago suburbs, Evanston has never had a substantive ordinance addressing the protection and preservation of its trees.
This now appears to be on the verge of changing: the City Council's Human Services Committee (HSC) has considered a draft Tree Preservation Ordinance to address "the maintenance, protection, removal, and replacement of existing public trees, private trees located on any parcel of two acres or more planned for a subdivision, and private trees within a Planned Development." "Public trees" are trees located along public rights-of-way.
Most notably, the draft ordinance would require that permits be obtained for the removal of protected trees and require their replacement according to a formula based on the desirability of the removed tree and its diameter. Protected trees are divided into three groups, with Group A trees the most desirable (e.g., sugar maples, white oaks), and Group C the least desirable of protected trees (e.g., catalpa, sycamore). There is a fourth Group D of "junk" trees that are generally unprotected (e.g., tree of heaven, buckthorn). The draft ordinance also would require that plans be filed and then followed for the protection of trees in large-scale construction areas. This last has been a major concern of many Evanston residents, who have seen large quantities of trees removed or seriously damaged in the course of construction activity.
Citizen comment during the HSC meeting on December 6th noted with concern that the proposed ordinance does not address the preservation, protection, or replacement of most private trees (those on parcels smaller than two acres; for reference, two acres is a square slightly less than half a city block on each side). Practically all other suburban tree ordinances protect desirable trees on private property.
The HSC deliberation attempted to balance tree preservation with private property rights. The consensus was that it is most important to get an initial ordinance on the books promptly that addresses preservation of trees along public rights of way and affected by significant construction activities; ordinance refinements and extensions are being deferred for possible later discussion. The HSC recommended passage of the Draft Tree Preservation Ordinance to the City Council. While its passage by the Council is not a foregone conclusion, the broad aldermanic representation on the HSC makes passage likely.
SEA will monitor the progress of the ordinance and its implementation, and intends to be an active voice in its further refinement.
