Action | Amend Vegetation Control Regulations on State Rights of Way |
Stage | Fast-Track |
Comment Period | Ended on 2/2/2022 |
The proposed amended regulation does not take into consideration the public cost versus the private benefit of such pruning and tree removal. The amendment is only framed in terms of the benefit to the private business and does not speak to the environmental and social benefits trees provide to the public, including stormwater capture, air purification, and health benefits. These services cannot be easily replicated. There is not a complete cost-benefit analysis presented in the proposal and I don’t believe this regulation should be fast-tracked.