§ 53-0301 — Legislative purpose

§ 53-0301. Legislative purpose.\n The legislature finds and declares that:\n 1. It is the purpose of this title to promote a comprehensive urban\nforestry program to assure positive benefit from urban trees planned and\nmanaged with adequate recognition of the physical, biotic and social\nsurroundings in which they are encouraged to grow and provide their\nbenefits.\n 2. Trees can serve as a vital link between man in the urban setting\nand his environment, if properly planned and managed.\n 3. Trees and shrubs can improve the quality of urban environments by\nhelping to prevent erosion, by providing shade, modifying extremes of\ntemperature and humidity, helping to reduce noise and air pollution, and\nenhancing the aesthetic quality of life. Also, vegetation in urban green\nspace can contribute to urban water shed management and provide habitats\nfor desirable urban wildlife.\n 4. Growing conditions in urban areas for trees and associated plants\nare frequent and recurrent problems because of highway and street\nwidening, sidewalk reconstruction, air pollution, modified drainage,\nerosion, soil fertility depletion, insects and disease, mechanical\nhazards and other adverse influences resulting from concentrated use of\nland. On the other hand, many mature urban areas have large tracts of\nopen space on which more urban vegetation could be grown.\n 5. Improved and expanded urban tree programs for planting and\nmaintenance of trees and associated vegetation in urban areas would help\nmake urban areas more pleasant and healthful places to live, work and\nvisit; and\n 6. Trees are an important economic asset and resource to urban areas\nby increasing land values and by modifying extremes of temperature,\nhumidity and winds and thereby have an important role in reducing the\namount of energy consumed in heating and cooling many urban buildings\nand homes.\n