{"id":22855,"date":"2025-08-04T10:15:04","date_gmt":"2025-08-04T14:15:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsroom.ocfl.net\/?p=22855"},"modified":"2025-08-04T10:09:44","modified_gmt":"2025-08-04T14:09:44","slug":"orange-countys-award-winning-tree-ordinance-making-a-difference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsroom.ocfl.net\/2025\/08\/orange-countys-award-winning-tree-ordinance-making-a-difference\/","title":{"rendered":"Orange County\u2019s Award-Winning Tree Ordinance Making a Difference"},"content":{"rendered":"

Matt Melvin trudged through knee-high grass across a vacant 4-acre parcel near Lake Nona.<\/p>\n

Sweat on his brow, he stepped into the welcoming shade of two towering Live Oaks and measured their wide, furrowed trunks.<\/p>\n

He took note: These trees must stay.<\/em><\/p>\n

A retail center is planned for the property, and Melvin, Senior Arborist with Orange County Government\u2019s Zoning Division, was on site to ensure the development team complies with a relatively new County ordinance. This ordinance provides stronger protection for large, native trees than ever before. Gone are the days when developers could clear-cut wide swaths of unincorporated Orange County to make way for new construction.<\/p>\n

The Board of County Commissioners approved the ordinance in September of 2023, and its implementation the following spring marked the first change to the County\u2019s tree preservation policies in 23 years.<\/p>\n

Stakeholders, including developers, landscape architects, and environmental advocates, provided input during a series of workshops to shape the final product.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cThis ordinance requires developers to be mindful of trees when they develop,\u201d Melvin said.<\/p>\n

The heart of the ordinance beats strongest for old, native trees \u2014 the ones that can\u2019t be replaced in a lifetime. Mature trees like the Live Oak and Southern Magnolia, now designated as Heritage Trees, along with Specimen Trees like Winged Elm, Turkey Oak, Longleaf Pine, Sweetgum, and Bald Cypress. Their towering presence offers far more than shade; they capture stormwater runoff, store carbon, shelter wildlife, and contribute immeasurably to the character of Orange County\u2019s neighborhoods, Melvin said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s evidence that the largest native trees are the ones that produce the most benefits for our residents,\u201d Melvin said. \u201cAnd for these trees, it takes them a long time to get this large. So, we are trying to put extra emphasis on preservation for those reasons.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 2024, the Florida Urban Forestry Council presented Orange County with the \u201cOutstanding Ordinance\u201d award for its new tree protection provisions.<\/p>\n

Here are some things to know about the ordinance:<\/p>\n

Limits Tree Removal at Development Sites<\/strong><\/p>\n

Developers have stricter guidelines on where trees can be removed. Certain trees in parking lots, open spaces, new neighborhoods, and around stormwater ponds are now much harder to cut down.<\/p>\n

More Trees Must Be Planted if One is Removed<\/strong><\/p>\n

If a protected tree is removed, the developer must plant new trees to make up for the lost canopy:<\/p>\n