DC Water provided an update on the Northeast Boundary Tunnel project at last night's Bloomingdale Civic Association meeting.
One of the items discussed was the removal of the median strip trees on Rhode Island Avenue NW -- six trees on the unit block and all trees on the 100 block.
A meeting attendee mentioned the removal of heritage trees.
Here is a link to the Tree Canopy Protection Amendment Act.
Under a 2016 D.C. law, this tree, and others
of its size, can’t be cut down, as long as they’re healthy. Any tree with a
circumference of 100 inches or more is considered a heritage tree and cannot be
removed unless they are replanted.
I do not know if this Act would govern the median strip trees intended to be removed on the median strips.
According to the DC Urban Forestry Administration's Map (and just looking at them), the existing trees in the median have a diameter of about 2" or a circumference of 6.3". Well below the 100" required to be considered a Heritage Tree or even a Special Tree (44"-100").
ReplyDeleteAlso, I believe these are considered street trees and not subject to those restrictions. See this helpful document: https://ddot.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/ddot/publication/attachments/FAQ%20Special%20vs.%20Street%20Trees_rev2016.pdf
The trees on the unit block of Rhode Island Ave NW are significantly larger. I measured one at 53" and that was at chest height, it would be much larger at the base.
DeleteA few years ago the city planted a couple of replacement trees in the unit block. They are still really small. The city doesn't maintain them. I have hauled buckets of water out to them, but they don't grow. It will take many years of care and growing before these trees will get back to where they are now and I don't trust the city will care for them properly.
Yeah this law does not apply for this project, and they are planning to replant.
ReplyDelete