Time for a native tree ordinance

Now that the city has (hopefully) resolved the standoff over the Colorado tree project, I think it is really time to look to the future of the city's tree plantings.

The problem the city has had has stemmed from its desire to reassure the business districts that their plans will stay intact, while also appeasing a vocal resident movement to save trees, and to plant certain kinds of trees.

As was stated at the meeting last night, three districts have current plantings scheduled. The city will let them plant- so now the issue should be what happens in the future.

One thing I believe has been overlooked in this entire debate is the fact that the city is now trying to cut resident's water consumption by 10 percent, while also looking to eventually cut it by 20 percent. According to the city's studies on the issue, getting to 20 percent will be more or less impossible unless people begin replacing their water thirsty plant species with native landscaping.

So, if the city is expecting people to begin planting native species that use less water, it seems to me that it should hold itself to the same standards. Instead of having a self-created tree rating system, as the city is now proposing, it would make more sense to simply require that only natives be planted in town. That would drastically reduce the number of possible species that would be planted, making it easier to come to consensus.

And, with the water problems the state has, I can't see how anyone can justify a future plan that would involve planting a non-native species that will need more watering. As long as the city allows the current plans to be "grandfathered" in, I doubt very much there would be a lot of protest against changing the future policy of the city.