Citizens Tree Coalition - Protecting San Antonio's urban forest

Developers attack: Texas legislature may gut San Antonio's tree preservation ordinance.

At least 6 developer-inspired bills have been filed in the Texas Legislature to dismantle San Antonio’s tree and aquifer protection ordinances.

Deja vu: City wants to rewrite tree preservation ordinance.

City Manager Sheryl Sculley has initiated a wholesale rewriting of the tree preservation ordinance. A committee of developers, conservationists, and city staffers has been formed to hammer out a document, and is meeting weekly.

Hundreds of Brackenridge Park trees will fall

The City of San Antonio is planning to destroy hundreds of significant and heritage trees to make way for a new parking garage in Brackenridge Park.

San Antonio's Tree Deficit: 455,000 and "growing"

Despite a growing public awareness of trees’ health and aesthetic benefits, San Antonio has a steadily growing deficit of 1.4 million trees. This deficit is the difference between scientific recommendations for the city's tree canopy cover and the current state of San Antonio's urban forest.

R.I.P. San Antonio's Understory Trees

A clandestine package of amendments from City Councilman Richard Perez eliminated, for the most part, protection of small, understory trees such as Texas Persimmon, Texas Mountain Laurel, and Texas Redbud. In addition, the changes abolished protections for the majority of Mesquite, Hackberry, Huisache, Ashe juniper, and Ash trees.

Ashe juniper: Cedar, water, and land development.

City Council recently slashed preservation standards for Ashe juniper in order to conserve water. But does removing these trees for land development help the aquifer?

Grandfathering: Uprooting the Tree Ordinance

Grandfathering (also called entitlements and vested rights) is a legal means of circumventing the San Antonio Tree Preservation Ordinance. Grandfathering rules are a combination of state and municipal laws.

Urban Heat Island: How hot can it get?

Changes in tree canopy cover have many measurable effects on the environment. For example, as a city's tree cover is destroyed, its temperatures intensify.