§ 54-581. Findings of fact and purpose of Article.

(1)

Findings of fact. The Board of County Commissioners hereby makes the following findings:

(a)

Trees produce oxygen, a necessary element for the survival of mankind;

(b)

Trees appreciably reduce the ever-increasing and environmentally dangerous carbon dioxide content of the air and play a vital role in purifying the air;

(c)

Trees play an important role in the hydrologic cycle, transpiring considerable amounts of water each day, and they intercept dust and other particulate airborne pollutants from the air;

(d)

Trees play an important role in cleaning stormwater runoff that passes from the surface water to groundwater;

(e)

Trees, through their root systems, stabilize the soil and play an important and effective part in Countywide soil conservation, erosion control and flood control;

(f)

Mangrove Trees are of special ecological value in stabilizing, building and protecting the shoreline, providing for spawning and breeding grounds for marine organisms and other wildlife, and serving as the basis for most of the estuarine food chains, which are critical to 70 to 90 percent of those species considered important from a recreational and/or commercial standpoint;

(g)

Trees are an invaluable physical and psychological addition to the County, making life more comfortable by providing shade and cooling both air and land, reducing noise levels and glare, breaking the visual monotony of Development on the land and providing unique visual character and enhancing property values;

(h)

Trees provide wildlife habitat and play other important ecological roles;

(i)

The protection of Trees within Sarasota County is not only desirable, but essential to the present and future health, safety and welfare of Sarasota County;

(j)

Some Tree species are more deserving of special protection due to their status as a native species, their canopy potential, or their niche within a particular ecosystem. It is not necessary to protect each and every species in order to attain the public benefit of a Tree protection due to a species being an invasive/exotic that destroys native habitats and out-competes native Trees for space and nutrients;

(k)

Some Trees on public and private lands are especially significant due to their character, size, and age;

(l)

Grand Trees are an important component of Sarasota County's urban forest, and have a unique and intrinsic value to the general public because of their age, size, and ecological value;

(m)

Trees can serve the function of a bio-utility and have numerous economic benefits to the community;

(n)

Preservation and maintenance of healthy oaks and other species that comprise Canopy Roads will maintain their historic, aesthetic, cultural and environmental value;

(o)

Street Rights-of-Way and other public open spaces provide land which is appropriate, accessible, and highly visible for the planting of Trees and other vegetation;

(p)

It is a matter of public policy that the health, safety, welfare, and economic well-being of the residents and property owners of Sarasota County require that the County adopt a comprehensive program for the installation, maintenance, and preservation of Street Trees and other plantings within Sarasota County;

(q)

The trimming and alteration of red mangroves (Rhizophora mangle), white mangroves (Laguncularia racemosa), and black mangroves (Avicennia germinans) shall be consistent with the Mangrove Trimming and Preservation Ordinance, as amended (Chapter 54, Article XXXV, of the Sarasota County Code of Ordinances).

(r)

To provide for greater efficacy in the protection and regulation of trees, three ordinances were consolidated in Ordinance No. 2011-023, including the following: (1) Ordinance No. 88-02, as amended, commonly referred to as the Street Tree Ordinance; (2) Ordinance No. 2001-041, as amended, commonly referred to as the Canopy Road Ordinance; and (3) Ordinance No. 83-44, as amended, commonly referred to as the Tree Protection Ordinance.

(2)

Purpose. It is the objective of this article to:

(a)

Safeguard the public health, safety, welfare and economy through Tree Protection and to promote the findings of this article by following the provisions contained herein.

(b)

Designate, preserve, promote, and protect Canopy Roads in Sarasota County.

(c)

Effect and accomplish the planting, maintenance and preservation of Trees and other plantings in Street Rights-of-Way and other public open spaces and to assure all plantings conform to the guidelines for landscape design.

(Ord. No. 2011-023, § 2, 5-25-2011; Ord. No. 2016-064, § 1, 10-10-2016)