Atlanta considers higher fees to chop down trees
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Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
The cost of chopping down Atlanta's famed tree canopy could increase under a proposal making its rounds through City Hall.
Why it matters: Atlanta's tree canopy has been a victim of the city's development success, shrinking by 1.8% since 2008. It covers 46.5% of the area — below the 50% goal the city set in 2023.
- Trees aren't just an Atlanta brand, they're a weapon in the fight to blunt the effects of climate change. Trees' shade and root systems can help residents escape scorching temperatures and reduce stormwater flooding.
The big picture: "This is going to be — and I think my colleagues will agree with me — the most difficult, complex piece of legislation we will vote on this term," Councilmember Liliana Bakhtiari said.
Catch up quick: Adopted in 2001, the city's tree protection ordinance sets fees residents and developers must pay to chop down trees on single-family properties.
- Funds go toward planting new trees and purchasing and preserving forests inside the city limits. Fees also help fund the city's work to enforce the rules.
Yes, but: In the so-called City in the Forest, the ordinance is a lightning rod, and the mere mention of revising its language sends shivers down elected officials' spines.
- Plus, it's complex, with formulas requiring measuring tree trunks, credits for replanting, and more.
Zoom in: Under a proposed update to the ordinance presented Thursday to Atlanta City Council members, the city wants to increase the removal fee — or "recompense" — from $100 per tree plus $30 per tree-trunk-inch to $260 per tree-trunk-inch.
The intrigue: The current tree removal fee doesn't cover the cost of planting new trees. To help fix that lopsided scenario, city officials want to increase the fines for illegal tree removal from $60,000/acre to $260,000/per acre.
Yes, and: For the first time, the ordinance would cover commercial lots and housing other than single family, which together account for a quarter of Atlanta's tree canopy.
- The city would also award $200,000 to a nonprofit that could assist seniors living on low incomes with replacing a dead, dying or diseased tree with a new one.
- Developers who build affordable units for people living on very low incomes would pay reduced or no recompense fees.
The other side: Kevin Norton of Empire Communities, a townhome developer, argued that the current ordinance does function. Tree preservation, he said, would prevent development and could be considered a "taking."
Stunning stat: Out of the 170,000 parcels in the city of Atlanta, only 250 are 5 acres or more and considered "fully forested," according to city officials.
What's next: The City Council's Community Development and Human Resources Committee will review the proposal and consider a vote in a future meeting.