It was a good evening for trees at this week’s Fernandina Beach City Commission meeting.
Six more heritage trees were unanimously designated. This program evaluates mostly grand, mature trees for their heath and beauty of form. Most are live oaks, but other varieties have made the cut, too. And,
- It was announced that the city has been recognized — for the 21st year – as a Tree City USA designation by the Arbor Day Foundation.
- It also was announced that various Nassau County officials, including city staff, will plant five trees at 11 a.m. at Sunrise Park (1900 Sunrise Dr.) Friday in honor of Arbor Day.
- And then – and this is the big one – the five commissioners approved an amendment to the city’s land development code providing for canopy road zones, including restrictions on tree removal on canopy roads. For the record, that is “Section 4.05.17 Canopy Scenic Roads” of the land development code.
Bet you didn’t know those guys were such a bunch of tree huggers, did you?
Keep on keeping on…let’s hear it for the trees!
Wonderful news!
Until they March on Tallahassee and have them rescind the Bert Harris Law to protect land from developers, there is no real tree protection in our county. People will STILL massacre trees with reckless abandon. The beautiful property on the south end of the island will still be decimated in the name of progress. Anyone who thinks otherwise is a fool. I have written legislators and contacted environmental groups to ask HOW DO I MAKE THIS LAW GO AWAY to crickets. Florida is open for destruction, unfortunately. Highest bidder wins, and unfortunately I didn’t win the lottery.
Good start.
Let’s hug those trees!!
Maybe the FB city commissioners can follow up with our new state legislators, Yarborough and Black, and enlist their help to address the issues that continue to plague us all in the form of the Bert Harris Act. At a minimum, there should at least be a carve out for the state’s island many island communities whose single best defense when staring into the eyes of any storm are the trees, understory and dunes.