Staying Green: Local Tree Protection Ordinances in North Carolina

With greater urgency, communities are realizing the need for sustainable development practices that help to address climate change, limit dependence on foreign fuel sources, support healthy lifestyles, and better protect natural resources for future generations. Regulatory requirements that protect and retain existing trees during and after the development process are some of the most cost-effective methods for communities to be more sustainable. This article enumerates many of the benefits of tree protection, including lower energy costs through shading and reduced greenhouse gases through carbon sequestration. It surveys the wide variety of tree protection strategies (mandatory, voluntary, and incentive-based) used by more than 100 local and county governments across North Carolina, and it describes the hallmarks of an effective tree protection ordinance. Given the state’s growth trajectory and the public’s heightened recognition of the need for more sustainable development practices, tree protection standards are likely to become more prevalent and comprehensive in the future