County Plants Six Live Oak Trees on Johns Island

Charleston County News Release

Release Number: 3392

Date: February 8, 2012

See Tree Ordinance Brochure: http://www.charlestoncounty.org/Departments/Planning/Tree%20Ordinance%20Brochure.pdf

County Plants Six Live Oak Trees on Johns Island

Charleston County Government will be planting six live oak trees this week within the Bohicket Road, River Road and Betsy Kerrison Parkway rights of way on Johns Island, as approved by the S.C. Department of Transportation (SCDOT).

“The new trees will help restore the canopy over the designated state Scenic Highways where six trees were removed due to poor tree health,” said Sally Brooks, an arborist with the County’s Zoning and Planning Department.

The planting is possible due to the Charleston County Tree Fund, which receives contributions for tree mitigation and funds from tree protection and preservation violation fines. The Charleston County Tree Fund was last used in September 2010 to supplement a grant awarded to Charleston County for pruning tree limbs that were deemed hazardous over Bohicket Road and River Road.

SIDEBAR:

• The Charleston Zoning and Land Development Regulations Ordinance (ZLDR) states: “The Tree Fund is a fund established to receive monies exacted from tree removal violation fines to include, but not be limited to, removal, damage, destruction, or as defined in Section 9.4.1.C of this Chapter, and as a form of mitigation when planting of the required trees is determined to be detrimental to the overall health of existing trees or impractical for the intended site design. The Planning Director shall impose a Tree Mitigation fee based on the current market retail value of two- to three-inch caliper trees installed to the American Association of Nurserymen Standards. If the applicant disagrees with the amount of the Tree Mitigation fee imposed, they may file appeal with the Board of Zoning Appeals in accordance with the provisions contained in this Ordinance. All Tree Mitigation fees collected shall be paid to the County Treasurer and placed in an account established exclusively for public beautification through the planting of trees in Charleston County.”

• The tree preservation and protection standards for Charleston County can be found in Chapter 9, Article 9.4 of the ordinance, and details regarding the Tree Fund are located on page 9-22.

• Charleston County has a brochure for citizens regarding the ordinance as it relates to trees: http://www.charlestoncounty.org/Departments/Planning/Tree%20Ordinance%20Brochure.pdf.

Visit the Charleston County website at www.charlestoncounty.org for news, services and up-to-date information relating to Charleston County Government.