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An ordinance amending Title 5 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws relative to providing funds for restoring and maintaining Nashville and Davidson County's tree canopy.
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WHEREAS, the tree canopy in Nashville and Davidson County is a utility that improves ambient air quality, absorbs and filters stormwater, mitigates the heat island effect, supports public health, provides economic benefits, and increases the quality of life for Nashville's residents; and
WHEREAS, in addition to its utility value, the tree canopy in Davidson County adds priceless aesthetic value to the appearance of Nashville's streetscapes, residential and commercial properties, and urban landscapes; and
WHEREAS, the most recent report regarding Davidson County's urban tree population and tree canopy, conducted in 2018, confirmed that Davidson County has lost over nine hundred eighteen (918) acres of tree canopy on parcels undergoing development during the period 2008 through 2016; and
WHEREAS, approximately thirteen percent (13%) of the existing tree canopy within the Urban Zoning Overlay of Davidson County disappeared between 2008 to 2016. According to the report, Nashville's downtown area would have to increase its canopy coverage by over one hundred percent (100%) in order to meet the transect goals for this area; and
WHEREAS, as a result of just this particular period of canopy degradation between 2008 to 2016, the Metropolitan Government sustained substantial losses, including:
(a) $308,873 in lost stormwater abatement and filtration benefits;
(b) $66,458 in lost air quality benefits, including removal of particulate matter;
(c) $258,378 in electricity and/or natural gas costs from additional home utility use; and
WHEREAS, due to the 918-acre canopy loss over the 8-year period between 2008 to 2016, over 30,000 metric tons of carbon were released into Davidson County's atmosphere; and
WHEREAS, additional threats to Nashville's tree canopy continue unabated. The emerald ash borer inf...
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