The La Conner Planning Commission is in the early stages of discussing changes to the municipal code to preserve the town’s tree canopy and ensure green spaces can yield environmental and public health benefits.

Planning Director Ajah Eills, who proposed the amendments, said they would address some gaps in the existing code. For example, the laws only refer to the removal of trees, and don’t account for limbing or trimming.

Residents wishing to limb — cut off branches — or trim a tree would need to apply for a Class I administrative permit and demonstrate they have taken reasonable steps to preserve as much tree canopy as possible.

Applicants would be required to meet one of several conditions, such as demonstrating that the branches in question represent a “substantial hazard” to pedestrians and motorists, or that they negatively affect the structural integrity of a nearby building, among other possible scenarios to justify their removal.

Eills explained she proposed this amendment because there have been instances of residents limbing their trees “severely,” reducing canopy benefits and, in some cases, killing the tree.

Under existing rules, the number of replacement trees should be based on the diameter of the lost trees, or on the appraised value calculated with a formula from a book that Eills said seems to be no longer be available. As an alternative, she proposed basing the number on the percentage of tree canopy lost to removal.

The removal of trees on residential lots located outside the Historic Preservation District is not subjected to the current code. Eills asked commissioners to let her know if they’d be interested in applying the code to all of the trees in town.

Instead of exempting the removal of hazardous or nuisance trees during emergencies caused by natural or man-made disasters, the new rules would allow for the removal of such trees before disaster strikes, thus reducing risks to people and structures.

The proposed code would also require arborists to provide a tree protection plan for a construction project to be approved within the critical root zone. This plan must include an assessment of the tree’s health and tolerance for construction, as well as impact mitigation measures and post-construction treatments.

Luisa Loi is a general assignment reporter for La Conner Community News.