The St. Paul Municipal Council is considering a tree replacement mandate for one for one-ST. Paul Pioneer Press

When the public works of St. Paul or their agreed crews take down trees for an urban project, they may soon need to replace them at least one to one or make an equivalent contribution to a trees replacement fund.

A proposal for a city ordinance sponsored by Council members Rebecca Neoker and Nelsey Yang requires St. Paul to write a plan for the preservation of trees during public construction projects in order to preserve trees located within public parks or city, including the city, including documented efforts to protect the roots and soil.

Where the preservation is not feasible, the Ordinance on sponsored by urban sponsored projects “requires the city to replace removed or damaged trees with the same number of trees and within the same construction site, if possible. Otherwise, the department is expected to contribute to the trees in the city, with the aim of planting more trees along the line.

“We have long heard how many trees are important to people,” Nuker, the chairman of the Incoming Council, said at the end of the public hearing on January 22. “There is absolutely no intention on my part to rush with this.” In the light of significant written comments, she called on the proposal to be reviewed by the Council on February 26th.

Thorny Issue

The question of who talks about the trees has become thorny in some angles of the city. Especially for residents opposed to a long -term bicycle road and a pavement path that could remove hundreds of trees on the historic avenue on the top.

Public works staff said the alley was overdue for reconstruction and most of the affected trees would have to be removed anyway.

It is also unclear how the most new trees proposal affects projects in which the city has a certain share, but plays a less role in the county, state or federal government or railways and private utilities.

In 2023, Ramsay County removed approximately 160 trees from a mile from a section of Cleveland Avenue, to the sorrow of homeowners, which were said that only 55 trees should be affected by the reconstruction of the road. The county is then committed to replacing 70 trees, with the expectation of the University of Minnesota replacing additional trees along its right road.

Supporters, offenders

The proposed tree regulation has attracted the support of nature lovers as friends of the Mississippi River and Great River Greening, as well as the Ramsey Hill Association. This has been drawn from Thomas Darling, President of the Association for Summit Avenue housing, and others refer to the fact that it does not go far enough to protect the trees from removal. They point out that St. Paul’s public works will write the rules outlining what the preservation looks like, instead of looking for an overview of what trees can be rescued by independent experts.

“By not creating any standard for feasibility and allows the city on the police itself, the ordinance has the real potential for self -conclusion without meaningful public contribution,” writes Summit Avenue resident Chris Shirbar, on January 22. Email to the City Council.

He and other critics have expressed concern that the proposal for an ordinance, as written, may contradict the Law on Environment Rights in Minnesota, which prohibits the depreciation or destruction of natural state resources, unless there is a “feasible and well -being alternative”.

Opponents of the Summit Avenue bicycle road with Save Our Street or SOS call on daily monitoring of trees during urban construction projects, as well as after construction measurements to determine any lasting effects.

“A tree protection policy for St. Paul – good only if it is feasible,” says a SOS notice. “Otherwise, it’s a coffee table material.”

The NOECKER and Yang proposal notes that the standards of trees are set out at the American National Institute for standards A-300 Guide to Tree Care standards. Last month, Neoker noted that the process of taking rules around the preservation would be “opaque” and also relied on further public contribution.

Fewer trees, hot temperatures

Cities such as Edina, Maplewood and Roseville have regulations on the protection of trees, with different rules on what types of trees they require replacement if they are affected by public or private construction.

In roosy, for example, ordinary trees cause a less investment in their replacement than trees of “significance” and “heritage”, which are partly determined on the basis of their diameter. Roseville trees are usually only started for new real estate development. The trees removed from public law on the way to restore the road will be released.

In 2020, Roseville scale back the wood replacement fees applied to developers of individual single -family homes, limiting maximum payments to 5% of the value of the land, not 10%. “It sets a lower limit on cash payments instead of the replanting of smaller, one-time batches, compared to larger commercial developers,” said the planning city of Roshawl Brian Lloyd.

The proposal of the members of the St. Paul Council points the plan of action and resistance of the city for the climate in 2019, which notes that the largest risk of exposure to extreme heat is in areas throughout the city with less dense vegetation and coverage on a sunshade. This includes parts of the center of St. Paul, Frogtown, the greater east country, the bluff of Dayton and the southern end of Highland Park. Some of these areas are also low -income neighborhoods with a high population of colorful people.

The proposal for the Ordinance also notes that “Healthy canopy is vital for every urban neighborhood” as trees improve the quality of urban air, lower surface temperatures, reduce the cost of cooling and heating, reduce greenhouse gases They increase property values, increase the appearance and attractiveness of the city and “have a positive effect on the mental and physical health of the city’s residents and visitors.”

The Ramsay and Henepin Counts were selected to participate in the “City Heat Island Mapping Campaign” of the National Administration and the atmospheric administration of the atmospheric administration, to map the hottest neighborhoods in 14 US communities and four international cities.

The temperature survey, which took place on July 27, one of the higher days of summer, found that the highly developed urban areas such as the center of Minneapolis and the center of St. Paul register higher temperatures compared to other areas throughout the day and in the evening.

On the reverse, areas with high concentrations of street trees, green space and water – including neighborhoods near Lake Harriet in Minneapolis and Lake Vadnais in Vadnais Heights – enjoyed the cool temperatures. The Twin Cities survey includes more than 125 volunteers who take 32 routes in the morning, afternoon and evening.