DAPHNE, Ala.—Environmentally aware residents at Monday’s city council meeting requested a tree committee to grow and maintain Daphne’s urban forest. Council members later will decide whether to form such a group.

Whitney Wingbermuehle, a city volunteer and Daphne Beautification Committee member, in November had proposed the committee to Mayor Fred Small. She began, with Small’s permission, conducting a survey through Daphne Utilities bills that queried residents’ support of implementing a tree committee; it also sought prior knowledge of city and business efforts where trees are concerned.

Of 10,000 surveys sent out, 500 reportedly were returned, some of which had partial answers. Of those, reportedly 223 strongly agreed on the need of a tree committee and 129 simply agreed.

As for Small, he said he thinks the city has a good system now.

“The Planning Commission does a good job of reviewing the landscaping plans for developments; if any way possible the Planning Commission tries to save all significant trees and the landscaping ordinance requires two-for-one on tree removal,” he said.

Councilman John Lake said he thinks more could be done to save trees, especially in monitoring tree health after developments are finished.

“I noticed it mainly in the last year—people buy a house partially because they liked a tree,” he said. “Two to three years later, the tree is gone because of poor development.

“We don’t know what’s being done out there; the reality is that when they bought the house, the tree was already dead, it just took a few years to die.”

Wingbermuehle said she worries about the effects of growth.

“Businesses clear-cut and as commerce is blooming, trees are being knocked down,” she said. “The significant tree ordinance (that says builders must keep certain species and aged trees) needs major updating.”

The main question at this point is whether the current ordinance is sufficient in requiring that certain types and amounts of trees be kept, when certain building plans and construction methods may kill trees years after the development is finished.

Beau Brodbeck with Alabama Cooperative Extention System—an outreach branch of Auburn University—provides education to the public as he works closely with researchers and makes environmental findings understandable and implementable.

“It takes a long time for trees to grow, and likewise, it takes a long time to show damage,” he said. “It’s called decline: they begin to lose leaves and the leaves turn yellow.” “Staghorning takes place—where the extremity of the tree starts dying in an effort to stay alive longer.”

He explained that the most common cause is root damage.

“How close is too close-—it’s not clear cut; it depends on the site and species,” he said. “You have to identify the critical root zone.”

To find an approximate radius of the zone—where you should not poor concrete, dig, etc. so that roots can continue to nourish the tree—measure the tree’s diameter at breast height, about 4 1/2 feet off the ground; then multiply the diameter by 1 1/2 to 3 feet. Brodbeck uses about 2 to 2 1/4 feet usually, he said. That multiplication will give the tree’s critical root zone radius, he said.

Even then, much depends on the tree’s species, he said. Magnolia trees are more fragile while live oaks are tougher.

He said developers could bring in a certified arborist at the start of projects to help decrease the occurance of root damage and later tree death.

Small suggested some tactics to protect trees during construction.

“(We could require) barrier fencing, etc. around significant trees while construction is being done to ensure that not only the tree itself does not get damaged but that the roots don’t get damaged as well,” he said.

Broderick could help developers look toward the long-term, he said.

“I work with the building industry and try to educate them; some are doing right from the beginning and that’s how it should be," he said.

Brodbeck also works with city leaders and volunteer groups to help plan and maintain good practices—where flexibility is key, he said.

He said he’d be glad to give suggestions for updating the tree ordinance if the council forms the group.

“I could definitely provide guidance on how to do follow ups and in a timely manner,” he said.

Wingbermuele has drafted an objective for the tree committee that fits right in line with Brodbeck’s suggestions.

“The objective and the means for developing a functional tree board and ordinance for the City of Daphne will recognize that the urban forest is both privately and publicly owned,” it states. “Various city codes will influence implementation on other lands.

“The formation of the Daphne Tree Board will work towards an effective tree ordinance with standards that are flexible and enforced to ensure success.”