Enacting Tree Ordinance Should Be a Top Priority

Nassau County commissioners had little choice but to defer passage of the proposed tree ordinance.

Faced with questions they could not answer from residents about how the ordinance would work, they were right to defer consideration until the ordinance’s language is explicit and unambiguous.

That became obvious during the Jan. 14 meeting when Planning Director Walter Fufidio said it wasn’t clear whether a homeowner would be allowed to remove a tree damaging his home.

He should be. The intent, after all, is to preserve the county’s tree canopy, not to wreak economic havoc on homeowners.

But, that being said, an ordinance is badly needed.

Amelia Island, where trees have been protected for several years, is breathtakingly beautiful.

The rest of the county also is very scenic, for the most part. But, lacking a tree ordinance, it’s – little by little – losing some of its luster.

Some critics raise the issues of property rights, and that’s a legitimate concern.

But the issue at hand is protecting the quality of life here in Nassau County. Clear-cutting – the mowing down of every tree on a parcel to build a subdivision or a shopping area or a governmental facility – hurts us.

This isn’t Duval County, a sprawling urban area where clear- cutting of land is, sadly, now an accepted norm.

It’s rural Nassau, where quality of life is more of a priority than rapid growth.

And if someone chooses to live in such an area, he generally needs to “bend” a little to comply with the local community standards.

Hold the meetings, improve the wording and get on with the ordinance as quickly as possible.

Too much is at stake even to consider doing otherwise.

Big, beautiful trees, once cut down, are gone forever.

With each one that falls, a little piece of Nassau County’s ambience goes with it.

(c) 2008 Florida Times Union. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.