NEW TREE BOARD TO HELP CITY

Community and government leaders hope the creation of the Cape Girardeau Tree Board will assist the city in urban forestry efforts.

The City Council gave final approval Monday to an ordinance that, in addition to revising existing regulations regarding the planting and removal of trees, authorizes the formation of the tree board.

The board will oversee the city's long-term urban forestry policy in the city, including the planting of new trees, removal of existing ones that pose problems and protection of others with historical or aesthetic value.

Dan Muser, director of the Cape Girardeau Department of Parks and Recreation, said the tree board will aid in long-term city beautification efforts.

"There is no question the city will be better for it," Muser said. "It's not something you will immediately notice, but 20, 30 and 40 years down the road the city will have better urban forests. We're looking for improvement for the future, not something that will necessarily benefit us right now."

The Chamber of Commerce worked with parks department officials and other city staff members to develop the tree ordinance. Chamber president John Mehner agreed the board will help achieve the goal of making the city more attractive.

"It's definitely a beautification issue," Mehner said. "Obviously, we want as many trees as we can to help aesthetics and appearance."

The board will consist of Muser, the public works director Doug Leslie, a Parks and Recreation Advisory Board member and two members of the general public.

The parks advisory board will choose its member at Monday's meeting, Muser said. He speculated the parks board will pick Rocky Hayes, an urban forester.

"He is someone the (parks) board will certainly look at, and he was involved with putting the tree ordinance together," Muser said.

The City Council will appoint the remaining two members. Volunteers should apply at city hall. Muser said those interested in the positions should have more than a passing interest in trees but don't have to be trained experts.

Those crafting the ordinance considered assigning the new tree board's duties to the existing parks board but decided instead to create a body with a singular purpose.

"We thought about using the Parks and Recreation Board," Muser said. "We could have done that, but we decided it would be best to form a different board related just to trees."

The city hopes the tree board will provide some organization so the city can win recognition as a Tree City USA community.

"There is some prestige in showing the city has an abiding interest in urban forestry," Muser said.

The designation can make Cape Girardeau eligible for grants for tree planting and maintenance programs from the Missouri Department of Conservation.

While the board will provide oversight for trees on public property, including the easement between city streets and sidewalks, it will shy away from regulating trees on private property.

"Some cities are very restrictive, some are not," Muser said. "I think we're in the middle, leaning toward less restrictive.