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James W. Garner <br />State Forester <br /> <br />COMMONWEALTH of VIRGINIA <br /> <br />DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY <br />900 Natural Resources Drive, Suite 800 <br />Charlottesville, VA 22903 <br />www.dof, state.va.us <br />(434) 977-6555 <br /> Fax: (434) 296-2369 <br /> <br />November 11, 2004 <br /> <br />Mr. Dan Collins <br />City Manager <br />PO Box 1112 <br />Martinsvitle, Virginia 24t 14 <br /> <br />Dear Mr. Collins: <br /> <br />! am writing to urge your support for the proposed tree ordinance that will come before the Martinsville <br />City Council on November 23. I have reviewed a draft of this ordinance and find it to be more than <br />adequate for your city's needs. My agency is an advocate of municipal tree ordinances for several <br />reasons. First, they provide a mechanism for protection of public trees which are a valuable community <br />asset. Second, they give public employees and citizens some framework for dealing with tree-related <br />issues. Third, ordinances may help the city deal with liability issues that might arise when public trees <br />fall on private property, cause injury, or impact utility service. <br /> <br />There is another good reason why I urge Martinsville to adopt this proposed ordinance. A public tree <br />ordinance is the only requirement your city lacks to qualify for Tree City USA status. Tree City USA is a <br />program of the national Arbor Day Foundation that is supported by the National Council of Mayors and <br />the U.S. Forest Service. There are 47 Virginia communities recognized as Tree City USA including <br />Roanoke, Salem, Vinton, Lynchburg, Lexington, Abingdon, Marion, Blacksburg, and Danville as well as <br />most of Virginia's larger cities. There are close to 3,000 Tree City USA communities nationwide. <br /> <br />Some communities may hesitate to enact a tree ordinance because of the fear that the ordinance will <br />impact on private property rights. However, the proposed ordinance deals only with public trees and <br />does so in a sensible manner. Tree City USA status only requires a community adopt an ordinance <br />dealing with trees on public property. <br /> <br />I would be delighted to speak with you in person to support the proposed tree ordinance. Please do not <br />hesitate to call me if I can answer any questions or concerns. <br /> <br />Sincerely, <br /> <br />Paul F. Revell <br />Urban and Community Forestry Coordinator <br /> <br />Mission: We Protect and Develop Healthy, Sustainable Forest Resources for Virginians. <br /> <br /> <br />