Austin looking at incentive program to save trees from development

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- City council passed a resolution to incentivize developers to save more trees on residential properties.

The resolution calls for an incentive program that will provide developers some type of rebate on the fees they would have to pay the city if the developer is able to protect one or more trees from being cut down on a residential property.

It is unclear what kind of rebate developers will receive in this program, and there is no date set for when the program will roll out. There is a possibility the city could perform a pilot program.

Currently, the city land code protects trees with a diameter of at least 19 inches from being cut down on a residential property. The program would reward developers for sparing trees with diameters between 8 and 18 inches.

"Trees should be seen as an asset," Council member Ryan Alter, District 5, explained. Alter is the sponsor of the resolution that passed in the consent agenda at Thursday's meeting.

Over the past couple of years, the city council has adopted changes to the land code to increase the amount of housing in Austin. Part of those changes allowed for more units to be built on single-family lots and dropped the minimum lot size requirements. These changes were known as HOME amendments.

Part of the HOME phases called on the City Manager to develop ways to save trees from being cut down as more development was expected with the new land code changes. Austin also has a goal to preserve tree canopies and have 50% tree coverage across the city. To do this, Alter believes smaller trees need to be preserved so they can grow and contribute to the citywide canopy.

"That's why we're looking at 8 to18 inches. Trees that one day will become these beautiful, majestic trees that we all love to see, but they can't get there if we don't protect them now."