by City Council Member Jeanette Burrage
Des Moines City Council

Contrary to what some people want you to believe there is nothing in the State law that
requires cities to enact ordinances to limit tree trimming in critical areas or shorelines.
This urgency is being made up by a city agency that seems to be over-reaching its proper
governmental authority.

Other city and county councils may have been told that they needed to enact laws and did
so, but some have considered it and decided no. For example, the City of SeaTac had a
proposed tree ordinance and their council declined to pass it.

The City of Kent has a code managing trees planted for required landscaping only (KCC
15.07.070). They also have a code requiring retention of significant trees on undeveloped
land. (KCC 15.08.240). They have no code requiring a permit for tree-trimming.
In this instance I hope we follow the SeaTac and Kent councils and not rumors about
what state law requires.

Des Moines is blessed with scenic vistas of Puget Sound, the Olympics, and Mount
Rainier. Citizens here commonly engage in personal transactions to maintain their views
and these transactions are at no cost to the City.

We all want what is “best” for our citizens, but we should let them decide what is best for
themselves and their trees.

At an Asian and Pacific Islander candidates and issues forum I attended a speaker said
their experts in child development came up with the “best practices” for preschools, so
Seattle should pass an initiative to require this method.

The federal government has begun placing “best practices” in medicine above what your
own doctor may recommend because the “best practices” are cheaper, but may not
provide better outcomes.

The “best practices” on tree trimming are not universally agreed. The favorite arborist
organization licensed by the City of Des Moines in the proposed ordinance is not the only
arborist organization around, and may not be the “best” arborists. Arborists in the
American Society of Consulting Arborists may be even better. Highly qualified
Arborists who have degrees and years of experience may not even be in an organization.
Where is the room for innovation and improvements if the innovator is not in that
particular organization?

The Council learned of another method of tree control used in Europe at the second
hearing on the ordinance a couple of weeks ago. That method may be superior to the one required in the proposed ordinance. What else has been missed or will be left out from

the “best” (only) way the council will allow people to trim trees?

As I said in the last meeting on this subject, there is no evidence that harm will occur if
this ordinance and its restrictions are not passed. Therefore our citizens should enjoy the
freedom to trim their own trees as they desire.

If (and this is a bid if) a tree-trimming ordinance was truly wanted, there are better ways
of developing such legislation.

The American Society of Consulting Arborists has a web site with a section on tree
ordinances. Their suggestion is to form a committee of residents interested in the issue
and willing to work for months to develop a proposed ordinance. The make up of the
committee is suggested to include:

“ Some suggested members for the group are a realtor, developer, garden club member, local arborist, planner, environmental
group representative, landscape architect, forest landowner, interested residents, public works officials, forest products industry
representative, business owner, lawyer and an engineer. Of course, you won’t be able to have each of these represented, and
the composition of your working group should represent the demographics and needs of your community. Strive for a working
group that balances having people with needed expertise with those who represent a wide variety of views and those that can
dedicate the needed time and effort into creating an ordinance. The working group should strive to have a minimum number of
members while meeting the group’s needs. Prior to starting work, the working group should develop rules governing decision
making and processes for conflict resolution.

For more information, visit http://conservationtools.org/guides/show/37#ixzz3FlvFHxjR
When developing proposed ordinance 14-043 there was no citizen's committee. The
approximately 50 people at the last hearing were against it. Please ask your council
members to vote no.