Gold Level Ordinance Template — Chicago Region
The Gold ordinance includes the same criteria of the Silver ordinance but also provides for regulation of the urban forest on private property. Typically, 70% of the urban forest within a Governmental Entity is on private property. It is critical that proper care, preservation and planting of trees on private property be incentivized or regulated. The Governmental Entity has many examples of collective management. For instance, the stormwater ordinance regulates the flow of water across land uses and ownerships, or building permits and inspections are required for building changes or construction. The Gold level tree ordinance preserves and protects the community as a whole.
Participants in creating the template include Morton Arboretum, Openlands, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, Chicago Park District, Forest Preserves of Cook County, Illinois Arborist Association, Illinois Green Industry Association, Illinois Landscape Contractors Association, Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, The Nature Conservancy, TREE Fund, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Forest Service.