Sunshine Sentinel

City of Miramar issued the following announcement on Dec. 3

Purpose

The City of Miramar's Tree Damage Prevention's goal is to educate Miramar residents and help prevent the wrongful care of the city shade trees. This site is dedicated to educating its public on the value of trees, what their benefits are, who should care for them, and how the homeowner or homeowners associations can help to preserve and promote a valuable tree canopy for the well being of our community.

Benefits

Trees provide many benefits for the social well-being of our society:

• Research has demonstrated that trees in urban and sub-urban areas significantly improve the overall quality of lives for the residents.
• Trees provide the backdrop to our urban spaces and promote civic pride. Many cities across the U.S. have associated their civic identities with their trees like Savannah, Georgia and Washington, D.C.   
• Trees structure our outdoor spaces and they help cities define the boundaries between public and private properties. 
• By providing canopy coverage, trees reduce and soften the force of falling rain on understory plantings.
• By providing shade, trees help make the hot, South Florida climate more bearable - providing up to a 10 degree cooler microclimate beneath their canopies, and lowering air-conditioning costs.
• Trees help establish and promote community pride, enhance real estate values, save money on energy cooling costs and promote economic development.

In order to continuously extract these benefits, proper maintenance must be followed to ensure a healthy and long lived tree.

Tree Removal or Altering

To remove or alter the character of installed trees is against the law. The city makes requirements for trees to mitigate for the loss of existing natural canopy habitats to ensure that its residents and the city as a whole benefit from having a substantial tree canopy.

Trimming

Recently, the Broward County Board of County Commissioners adopted an ordinance regulating the tree trimming industry. This action was taken as a result of concerns about the quality of tree trimming practiced in the county, and to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public. All businesses or governmental agencies that perform tree trimming in Broward County are required to obtain a Tree Trimmer License, and to be overseen by a certified arborist.

City of Miramar Tree Trimming Assistance Program 

The City of Miramar Tree Trimming Assistance

Program was established to assist eligible residents in obtaining tree trimming services to trim potentially and verifiably hazardous trees encroaching into existing infrastructure and overhead power lines.

Applications are now being accepted for consideration in the City’s Tree Trimming Assistance Program, and will be awarded based on highest priority until funds are exhausted. Application deadlines for consideration are the following:

• Quarter 1 October 30 , 2020 
• Quarter 2 January 30, 2021
• Quarter 3 April 30, 2021
• Quarter 4 July 30, 20201

Applications received passed a deadline will be considered for the following quarter.

Tree Trimming Assistance Program Guidelines

Tree Trimming Assistance Program Application

Tree City USA

Because of its regard for trees, the City of Miramar has earned the designation of Tree City USA for 18 years from the National Arbor Day Foundation.

Having a Tree City USA designation brings recognition and indicates that the city has established trees and their management as a priority.  It fosters a sense of pride and goodwill towards the appearance and livability of the city.  This helps promote the further development of economic growth and has been a contributor in ensuring a steady increase in real estate values for the area.

Facts

• The installation of trees are a result of the city’s requirements for landscape planting at the time of site plan development where neighborhoods are created.
• Recently planted trees are very young, therefore it is the responsibility of the homeowner and of the homeowner’s associations to properly care for their trees as they mature. View the Homeowners Association Tree Care PowerPoint (PPT) for more information.
• The presence of trees benefits all of the residents of the City of Miramar. The loss of tree canopy not only affects the property it is on but it affects the character of our neighborhoods and communities, as well as mitigating our summer temperatures.
• Homeowner and homeowners associations can play a role in promoting a quality neighborhood by getting involved, by being informed, and by assuring that their hired help is qualified and certified.

Original source can be found here.

Source: City of Miramar