DEFUNIAK HERALD
Walton County to begin work on a tree protection ordinance
November 3, 2021 Quinton
By DOTTY NIST
Work is to begin soon to get a tree protection ordinance in place in Walton County.
At the Oct. 26 Walton County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) regular meeting at the South Walton Annex, the commissioners voted to approve a citizen request for staff to begin work on the ordinance in conjunction with public input meetings.
While there had been a number attempts to create a tree protection ordinance in the past, over decades, a recent incident involving the cutting down of 100-year-old live oak trees in Seagrove has spurred a renewed effort toward such an ordinance.
In May, the trees were downed by a developer at the former location of the 723 Whiskey Bravo and Cowgirl Kitchen restaurants east of Gardenia Street in Seagrove in connection with clearing activity. It was determined by Walton County Code Compliance that the site had been cleared without required county permits.
At the Oct. 26 BCC meeting, south Walton County citizen Leigh Moore addressed the commissioners on behalf of a group of nonprofits and concerned citizens who since the Seagrove incident had come together to ask the county to take action to preserve the remaining historic trees in Walton County communities. The organizations, she explained, include Scenic Walton and South Walton Community Council (SWCC).
Moore’s request was for the BCC to direct Walton County Planning and Development Services to bring a stakeholder group together for input and then draft an ordinance that would add language to the Walton County Land Development Code (LDC) providing stronger protection for trees. An additional request was for implementation through the ordinance of a mitigation program for trees over a certain size when they are removed in order for the tree canopy to be replenished.
Moore said the group understood that there may be land use categories in certain areas of the county for which provisions of the ordinance may not be appropriate.
“We’re well aware,” she concluded, of past, present and future and the trees that we’ve already lost. We just want to stop the loss and mitigate it any way possible.” She offered the help of the committee with the task.
“I think that this is a big issue,” said District 5 Commissioner Tony Anderson, “and I agree with you, we need to protect our trees.”
He moved to have planning staff hold public meetings to gather input tree protection and work with Moore as a representative of the committee to draft the measure. The motion was approved unanimously.
Once drafted, the ordinance will undergo review by the county and a final decision by the BCC.
