Tree ordinance planning continues

St. Paul’s long-awaited tree preservation ordinance won’t leaf out until the 2027 construction season. That is too little, too late for residents in parts of the Como park and St. Anthony Park neighborhoods, who lost dozens of trees to city and county street projects in recent years.
Aspects of the ordinance will branch into city practices this year on an experimental basis, City Council members were told last month.
By Feb. 1, standard operating procedures will be ready for tree protection and tree planting processes. The full ordinance returns for final adoption May 20.
Council President Rebecca Noecker had hoped to have the ordinance in place by now. But after a series of input sessions during the fall, she realized the ordinance wasn’t ready to be adopted Dec. 17.
St. Paul’s tree canopy has been decimated in recent years by emerald ash borer. Tree diseases and weather extremes including severe storms have also taken a toll. The Wheelock-Grotto Area in Como had lost more than a dozen mature trees in 2024 before more were lost in the first phase of a street project last year.
Como residents sued but the trees were felled.
A long-term goal for the ordinance is for removal of fewer trees and more steps to preserve and improve the tree canopy on city property. “Something everyone gets behind is trees,” said Parks and Recreation Director Andy Rodriguez. He and Public Works Director Sean Kershaw outlined key points of the ordinance, which are meant to provide more rigorous tree protections.
Shaping the ordinance has taken more time than anyone imagined. Its public hearing was held in February 2025. At that time the original ordinance draft was criticized for not doing enough to protect trees and plant more new trees. It was also criticized as lacking enforcement mechanisms when trees are damaged by contractors.
Tree preservation again came to the forefront during the fight over Summit Avenue reconstruction. Tree issues have also been raised in the context of equity and the urban heat island. Many low-income neighborhood lack trees in streets and parks.
The challenge is to find ways to protect trees while making needed updates to city infrastructure, said Kershaw. Updates can range from replacing a single sidewalk panel to full street reconstruction.
Two groups are working on the tree ordinance. One is the community-led Tree Preservation Ordinance Public Input Group, known as the TPO PIG. A second is a staff group with members from Public Works and Parks and Recreation’s Forestry Division.
Members of the public input group spoke about their work, including representative of the St. Paul Parks Conservancy and Friends of the Mississippi River.
Rodriguez and Kershaw outlined key points of the ordinance, which are meant to provide more rigorous tree protections.
Certified, independent arborists will be hired to work with project staff during planning and design of city projects. Arborists will also develop a detailed tree survey, citing location, size, species and condition of trees within a project area. Tree preservation plans will be incorporated into construction plans and specifics outlining how trees will be protected and preserved and, if necessary, replaced.
New standards will specify how trees are to be protected during construction and what happens if they aren’t. Contractors will receive training in these standards. Certified arborists will monitor for compliance. Standards for planting areas will help ensure the viability of newly planted trees.
Rodriguez noted the potential challenges ordinance implementation faces. Hiring certified arborists adds an unknown cost, as do requirements for training contractors, and adds staff design and monitoring time on projects.
Another issue is that of managing expectations. At this stage with tree protection measures would only apply to city right-of-way, and not streets overseen by Ramsey County or the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT). Kershaw said the ordinance could be offered as guidance to other entities but not required. That would impact the Cleveland Avenue project in St. Anthony Park from a few years ago.