8 Landscape and Irrigation June 2014 www.landscapeirrigation.com
A
n emerging way government ensures that the
community fosters nature is by enacting landscape
codes or ordinances that specify minimum stan-
dards for promoting natural environments in the
city. In recent years, city after city nationwide has turned to this
type of legislation.
Landscape ordinances typically provide for the preservation
of natural features such as wetlands, erodible slopes, special
native habitats, and specimen trees. In some communities,
ordinances focus on the protection of the public water supply,
while in others, preservation of the tree canopy is the focus.
Many communities formerly enacted ordinances for aesthetic
reasons or to serve economic development, but now they have
ordinances that include water conservation.
There are generally three categories of landscape ordi-
nances:
1. Tree ordinances are the oldest, and are single issue
laws that focus on municipal tree care. These were origi-
nally drafted to set up city forestry departments, care for
public trees, and regulate the tree care industry. Modern
descendants of this type of ordinance focus on urban for-
estry and tree management practices.
2. Post-construction landscaping ordinances are being
drafted by U.S. cities, suburbs, towns, and villages to
regulate landscape design, maintenance, plant material
selection, and installation practices. This type of ordinance
regulates planting of building sites following construction
and typically consists of a series of "design components"
Staying Current
By Tom Delaney
Restrictive Green Building
and Landscape Codes
How they can impact your business
Image
©istockphoto.com/prill
