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Because of the new county commission make-up, the proposal may have a second chance.
ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — It’s a little like deja vu regarding trees.
Last year, St. Johns County Commissioner Krista Joseph proposed 14 new ways to protect trees in a county where clear-cutting takes place in every corner.
“We really thought it was going to go forward,” Joseph told First Coast News Tuesday.
The county commission room was packed with people who supported the idea but, the commission voted it down.
In mid-December, Joseph suggested the board reconsider those proposed tree-saving tactics. This time, the commission has a different make-up after the recent elections.
“I think now I have a more favorable commission towards saving the trees in a better manner for St. Johns County,” Joseph said.
Proposed changes include increased fees for developers who remove special and large trees. Right now, according to the county’s 2023 tree laws, even the largest oak tree can be removed for a fee of $400.
Joseph noted, “It’s not even market value.”
Another proposed change would urge developers to leave the natural tree buffers around construction projects, instead of recreating a tree buffer with younger, smaller trees.
“Leave the natural buffer. I mean, it’s already there. It just makes sense,” Joseph said.
Master arborist Danny Lippi told First Coast News last year that developers often wipe the land clear of nearly all the trees because of money.
“It comes down to economics. The flatter and clearer a property is, the more square footage you have to work and build on,” Lippi explained.
Between 2001 and 2022, St. Johns County lost 40% of its tree canopy, according to Global Forest Watch.
Joseph knows commissioners may not support all 14 tree-saving ideas.
“Maybe they like all 14. Maybe they like eight of them,” she said. “I do want to include a developer’s point of view as well as the new commissioners’ point of view as well as my original point of view. And I’m hoping that we can come to a great new land code that protects our trees and gives people the feeling they’re still living in St. Johns County.”
