A Starring Role for Trees at City Hall

It was a good evening for trees at this week’s Fernandina Beach City Commission meeting.

Six more heritage trees were unanimously designated. This program evaluates mostly grand, mature trees for their heath and beauty of form. Most are live oaks, but other varieties have made the cut, too. And,

• It was announced that the city has been recognized -- for the 21st year – as a Tree City USA designation by the Arbor Day Foundation.
• It also was announced that various Nassau County officials, including city staff, will plant five trees at 11 a.m. at Sunrise Park (1900 Sunrise Dr.) Friday in honor of Arbor Day.
• And then – and this is the big one – the five commissioners approved an amendment to the city’s land development code providing for canopy road zones, including restrictions on tree removal on canopy roads. For the record, that is “Section 4.05.17 Canopy Scenic Roads” of the land development code.

Bet you didn’t know those guys were such a bunch of tree huggers, did you?