Woodland Preservation

WOODLAND PRESERVATION

What is woodland?

A woodland is a vegetative community of trees, shrubs and ground cover. It is defined by the predominant tree species, location, soils, water and temperature. A woodland community includes living and non-living things - animals, plants, soil and climate. Several layers of life depend on each other to form the woodland environment.

A tree is a living system comprised of a canopy, a primary trunk, and a network of roots. In its growing process, a tree takes in water, nutrients, and carbon dioxide to produce oxygen and water vapor. The dripline defines an area below the outermost branches of a tree to the ground. Feeder roots occur within the top eight to twelve inches of soil, and extend outward in a roughly circular area four to seven times the area outlined by the dripline. This very critical root zone is therefore greater than the area of branches on the tree and is important to the tree’s survival.

The values of woodlands

How fortunate we are to live in a community that has many mature, diverse, and contiguous stands of trees remaining. Many of us recognize the values of our trees for their aesthetics and ability to increase our quality of life. Therefore, please consider these values before cutting any trees. Here are a few examples of the benefits of preserving our trees in woodland areas:

1.) Energy savings

Indeed, the tree canopies surrounding our properties help stabilizethe average temperature around and help us reduce energy cost. One study found that a 25-foot tree can lower annual heating and cooling cost of a home by 8-10%. A mature area of trees can lower the surrounding air temperature by 5-10%.

2.) Air Quality

Considering the increasing usage of and dependency on automobiles, it is essential to keep the air we breathe clean. One way to increase air quality is by preserving our trees in and outside of woodland areas. The US Department of Agriculture reports that one acre of forest absorbs six tons of carbon dioxide and puts out four tons of oxygen. This is enough to meet the annual needs of 18 people. Cooler air temperatures created by a mature tree canopy helps to reduce smog and a mature tree can absorb 120-240 lbs of small particles and gases of air pollution.

3.) Water Quality

The USDA Forest Service reports that a city’s forest and tree cover can reduce peak storm runoff by 10-20%. Less runoff means higher water quality and less quantity of problems in our local waterways. In addition, roots of trees stabilize soils, preventing our community from flooding and our stream banks from experiencing erosion.

4.) Noise Pollution and View Screening

A U.S. Department of Energy study reports that a 100-foot wide and 45-foot tall patch of trees can reduce noise levels by 50 percent. Trees are also important to keep our properties private, as they are able to screen undesirable views.

5.) Preserve Habitat and Natural Aesthetics

Preserving our woodland areas surely provides habitat for diverse wildlife species. Some of those species may actually be rare and unique flora and fauna. Studies have shown that the aesthetics provided from natural wildlife may help us relieve stress, improve our well being as well as restore our minds and souls. We also can enjoy the nature as a recreational opportunity, from hiking, photography, to plant taxonomy and bird watching.

6.) Economic Benefits

For commercial property, the amount of trees and landscaping affects the occupancy, patronage, appraised value, and the sales appeal of that property. Additional studies have shown that homes with equivalent location, square footage, and number of bedrooms, are appraised 3.5-6% percent higher if they have trees. In general, the more trees available around the property, the higher the economic and ecological values it has.

Township’s Effort for Woodland protection – Woodland Ordinance

Rapid growth, the spread of development and increasing demands upon natural resources have had the effect of eliminating significant quantities of trees and vegetation. This, of course, is a big concern for our community, considering the benefits from woodland areas. The township adopted a Woodland Ordinance as one way to preserve our trees and woodland areas.

According to the Van Buren Township Zoning Ordinance, Woodland and Tree Preservation Section, woodland that is protected by this ordinance shall mean any property containing the followings:

a.) One or more acres (excluding existing rights-of-way) which has been designated as a woodland on the official Township Map that includes all trees, shrubs, and groundcover located upon such property

b.) Trees on undeveloped property (as of 12/02) that are 5 inches D.B.H. or greater

** D.B.H is Diameter Breast Height. It is a way to measure a tree’s diameter in inches, which is measured 4 ½ feet above the ground.

Permits Required to Remove Trees

Based on the ordinance, here are the conditions which require permits:

a.) To remove, transplant, damage or destroy any tree or similar woody vegetation of any D.B.H in a woodland

b.) To remove, transplant, damage or destroy any tree or similar woody vegetation of 5 inches D.B.H or greater which are not located in a woodland

c.) To conduct any land clearing or grubbing activities within a woodland area

Ordinance Exemptions

There are some areas or individual cases that need exemptions from the Woodland Ordinance. The followings are a few of those exemptions.

a.) Resident owner – Removal, transplanting, trimming, or destruction of any trees by or on behalf of a resident owner of a single family dwelling unit, subdivision unit, or condominium unit. This exception shall not apply to tree removal from common areas

b.) Public safety – The removal or trimming of dead, diseased or damaged trees is performed by or on behalf of the Township, County, State, of other public agencies in a public right-of-way or on public property if done to prevent injury or damage to persons or property

c.) Accidental damage, disasters, and emergencies – The removal or trimming of dead, disease, or damaged trees provided that the damage resulted from an accident or non-human cause. Also, actions made necessary by an emergency such as tornado, flood, infectious insect infestation or disease to prevent injuries and damage to persons or property

d.) Agricultural Uses – The removal, transplanting, or destruction of trees occurring during a farm operation, for parcels zoned for agricultural uses

The Township residents are reminded, despite these exemptions, when possible, it is necessary and essential to maintain, protect, and preserve the trees in our community. As mentioned above, the benefits that these natural features offer us are truly vast and able to increase our quality of life.