Have you looked for a tree to hug lately? If so, you’ll be glad to know that the Norcross Tree Preservation Board (NTPB) is hard at work preserving the older ones and planting many new ones for current and future huggers!
The NTPB is accountable to city council and the community for forming and promoting good policy for the maintenance and expansion of the city’s valuable tree canopy. This involves getting developers to take positive steps to preserve large trees during construction, preventing unnecessary removal of older trees by homeowners, planting new trees to replace lost canopy, and promoting the value of trees to our community. We don’t hear much about the NTPB, but in fact for the last two-plus years the board has been very active under Charlotte Osborn’s chairmanship, and board members Linda Gepfer, Blake Manton, Mack Cain and Charlie Riehm’s contributions, with Sonya Isaac from the Community Development Dept. coordinating our efforts.
The board last year initiated a Tree Master Plan for the city, starting with a tree inventory which details the condition of all large trees along rights of way and in parks and public areas. As diseased trees fall or have to be removed, several new trees will be planted in their place. You may have seen an example of this along N. Peachtree Street recently. There was also an aerial survey taken of the city tree canopy to serve as a future benchmark.
Most know that NTPB holds Arbor Day celebrations each year, planting new trees and engaging schoolchildren and the community in promoting the value of our trees. An updated tree walk tour of Betty Mauldin and Thrasher Park’s notable trees was added to the city website with an interesting narrative of each tree’s history and characteristics as well as an aerial video tour of our trees and parks. Also an easy-to-use tree walk brochure with photos of each tree and its narrative is now available at the Visitors Center and City Hall.
The board spends a lot of effort on additions and amendments to the Norcross Tree Preservation ordinances to enhance tree protection. These amendments include increasing the measures to be taken during any land disturbance activity, such as requiring developers to take extra steps to ensure survival of the older trees and protecting boundary trees. The NTPB has also taken steps to ensure that any large-scale tree removals are truly a necessity and will be replaced with trees of equal or greater canopy.
City Council approved NTPB’s request to hire a landscape architect and arborist consultant, Hayne Thompson, who now scrutinizes new construction plans to ensure tree canopy requirements are met and also makes recommendations for the best choices of trees and planting techniques. Also, he helps city staff actively enforce our tree ordinances during construction activities.
Finally, NTPB was given stewardship over JohnsonDean Forest Preserve by City Council and they have taken on the responsibility of initiating and developing improvements, overseeing park maintenance and promoting the park to the community. To date, a walking trail through the forest marked with wood chips has been added by volunteers, brush and invasive plants have been cleared and water runoff improvements made. City Council has received a proposal for the development of a new front entrance to the park, which includes removal of the old Water Works building and upgrading the historic well house. Efforts continue to expand this unique natural forest preserve and extend the trail all the way to Holcomb Bridge Road.
Please help the NTPB to preserve and care for our precious trees which enhance and beautify our environment in so many ways. Plant new trees wherever possible!