Community Tree Management is one of the first reviews that the SCN is undertaking. It will give us all a better understanding of what this process will need in terms of support and yet be of benefit to the Fox Valley community as our member communities look to improve tree related codes in the years to come.
The rules followed in our localities vary. The following chart details the differences between the ordinances in the Fox Valley area. We found that the tree management codes were integrated with the plant and disease topics. See below for brief comments about this survey effort that we are not able to fit into the charting format.
1) Should ordinance comment on plants that block city signs?
2) City websites are changing frequently, so reference code links may change too.
3) Madison has an Edible Landscape Ord 8.33 (not community gardens) requiring permit, planting plan, no permanent improvements but water, and all refuse material removed by 11/15 of each year.
Updated 2014-09-10
| Town of Grand Chute | City of LaCrosse | City of Madison | City of Beloit | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main Code Location | Chapter 497; Trees and Shrubs | 10.04 | Chapter 10 Streets, Alleys, Sidewalks & Gutters per https://library.municode.com/index.aspx?clientId=50000 | 11.16, 7.23 | |||
| Main Focus | Both Public and Private | Parks, Parkways, Blvds | Public Lands | Both Public and Private | |||
| What is Public | tbd | ||||||
| Purpose | Public Health/Welfare | Promote Beauty/ General Welfare per Chapter 10.10 Installation of Street Trees | Public Health/Welfare | ||||
| Program Admin | Street Superintendent | Park Director/City Forester | City Forester | Dir. Pubic Works | |||
| Tree Planting Program | tbd | Yes, Costs assessed to private landowner (ROW) per Chapter 10.10 | Free tree planting, wood chips and firewood; Call City to schedule | ||||
| Tree City | |||||||
| Tree Varieties | Sugar/Norway Maple, White/Scarlet/Red/Pin Oak, Linden, Ash, Sycamore, Native Beech | ||||||
| Trees prohibited | none | Terrace – Poplar, Box Elder, Catalpa, Mtn Ash, Willows, Birch, Conifers, Hackberry, Elm | Seed bearing Box Elder, Cottonwood, White Poplar per Chapter 23.27 -28 | Cottonwood, Box Elder | |||
| Plants prohibited | none | Barberry, Creeping Jenny, Ragweed, Burdock, Radicans Toxicodendron, Poison Ivy, Stinging Nettle, Purple Loosestrife per Chapter 23.26 & 29 | Wis State Statue 66.0407 | ||||
| Insects Prohibited | Elm Bark Beetle per 497-7 | Ash Bore | Ash Borer | ||||
| Disease Watched | Dutch Elm, Oak Wilt per 497-7 | Dutch Elm, Oak Wilt per Chapter 23.40 | Dutch Elm, Oak Wilt | ||||
| Chemicals Prohibited | DDT per Chapter 23.41 | ||||||
| Terrace Tree Spraying | Town pays per 497-4 | ||||||
| Terrace Tree Trimming Details | limbs 8′ above walk and 14′ above street per 497-4 | per Chapter 10.101 | Limbs 9′ above walk, no shrubs to extend over walk | ||||
| Trimmed by | Town employee per 497-4 | Park Director/City Forester | Public trees by City Workers; others by permit | Landowner | |||
| Terrace Planting Guidelines | none | Permit Required | Costs assessed to private landowner (ROW), but diseased or damaged trees replaced at city cost; Private plantings in ROW allowed, but no trees or shrubs per Chapter 10.10 and 10.25 | Plantings 18″ min from walk; Not to cover walk | |||
| Planted by | tbd | City, Developer, Other | Permission of Public Works required by citizen | ||||
| Private Citizen Rules on Corners | Clear visibility over 25′ diagonal from corner; 2.5′ to 10′ from ground per 497-5 | Corner lot clear visibility over diagonal from corner; 30″ to 10′ from ground per Chapter 27.05(2)(bb) | Plantings can not obstruct view of drivers | ||||
| Tree Frames | |||||||
| Reference Link | |||||||
| Shoreline Zoning | Chapter 28.138 Lakefront Development; Culearing of trees/shrubs in strip 35′ inland from the normal waterline limited to not>30% of frontage | ||||||
| Nuisance Code | Town of Grand Chute Nuisances | 16.17 | |||||
| Details noted | Refers to Chapter 497 in 398-4 | City can order tree cut; No shrubs over 6′ in any yard | |||||
| Planned Development District | Chapter 535-40 Zoning` | ||||||
| Conservation Subdivision Rules | Abandoned Residential Property Pending Forclosure addressed per Chapter 27.10 | ||||||
| Business Landscaping | Chapter 532-32 to 39; Plan submission to town requires % landscaped, not detailed | Chapter 28.142; Required landscaped areas calculated based on total developed area of property | 34.21; very detailed | ||||
| Lawn Weeds and Grasses | Chapter 398-2; Defines noxious weeds, grasses and rank vegetation. | Chapter 23.29 | 16.07 | ||||
| Details noted | Noxious weed list maintained by Road Superintendent, grass max height 8″ | Grass max height 8″, but no prohibited plants grown per Chapter 27.05 | Max grass height is 8″; ref to WI Stats 66.0407 | ||||
| Natural Areas | Native Plants used as feasible, Ex. trees preserved when possible. Landscape plan req’d. per Ch. 535-40 | Chapter 27.05; Land Management Plan Required, Allows exceeding 8″ |