TIFTON — City council is considering an ordinance to protect public trees at the behest of the Tifton Tree Board.

During the April 1 city council meeting, Tree Board liaison Michael Mitchem proposed an amendment to city policies to create a permitting process for planting, pruning, and removal of public trees and shrubs and an accompanying citation system for violating this process.

Mitchem noted that many of the hundreds of trees the board had helped plant across the community over the last year had been removed by property owners, despite the tree being public property and grant funded.

Through the ordinance, Mitchem hoped to disincentivize residents from removing public trees for reasons other than disease, age, or damage.

He explained that if a resident violated the proposed policies by removing a tree, the removed tree would be measured at breast height. The violator would be required to provide a replacement tree double the diameter of the removed tree or a number of trees whose cumulative diameter was twice that of the original tree.

Mitchem further said that additional violations would require planting of trees equal to triple the diameter, and that regardless of the severity of the violation, offending residents would be required to care for the newly planted trees for a certain amount of time. However, he asserted that the ordinance would establish an appeal process as well.

Mayor Julie Smith questioned how the public would be informed of the new policies were they to be passed. City manager Emily Beeman assured her that they would publish the alterations on the City of Tifton website, and that the city community development department would be freely available for any questions.

City council members agreed to discuss the item in greater detail at their following meeting April 15.