Tree Bills Public Hearing

The Montgomery County Council’s Transportation, Infrastructure, Energy and Environment (T and E) Committee at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 17, will hold public hearings on two bills that would help protect trees in the county.

The T and E Committee, which is chaired by Roger Berliner and includes Councilmembers Nancy Floreen and Hans Riemer, will hold the hearings in the Third Floor Hearing Room of the Council Office Building at 100 Maryland Ave. in Rockville. The meeting will be televised live by County Cable Montgomery (CCM—Cable Channel 6 on Comcast and RCN, Channel 30 on Verizon). The broadcast also will be streamed through the County Web site at www.montgomerycountymd.gov.

 Bill 35-12 would save, maintain and establish the tree canopy by maximizing tree retention and establishment of new trees. The bill would establish standards to minimize the loss of trees as a result of development and would provide for mitigation when trees are lost or disturbed. It also would provide for a fund for tree canopy conservation projects.

 Bill 41-12 would require certain applicants to obtain a permit for specified activities in a public right-of-way that would destroy or disturb trees. It would authorized the Department of Transportation to create a tree replacement fund to pay for needed roadside trees and would lead to the adoption of regulations regarding work (trimming) that would be conducted on roadside trees.

 Councilmembers Berliner and Marc Elrich are the chief sponsors of Bill 41-12.

 The T and E Committee will hold worksessions on both bills on Jan. 28.