City of Oconto

Forestry Department

(a)

Responsibility

The size, species and variety of trees to be planted in terraces, tree banks, and boulevards and the manner of planting shall be submitted to the Director of Public Services or his designee for approval before commencement of such work.  All planting, maintenance, and trimming of trees in terraces shall be the responsibility of the individual property owners.

(b)

Tree Sizes

The Director of Public Services or his designee shall prepare and maintain lists of tree species desirable for planting in boulevards according to their normal, mature height

Large trees: Over forty (40) feet  

Medium trees: Twenty-five (25) to forty (40) feet

Small trees: Fifteen (15) to twenty-five (25) feet  

(c)

Planting Size

(1)

All large or medium trees, when planted, shall be at least eight (8) feet high and have a minimum trunk diameter of one and one-half (1 1/2) inches at a point six (6) inches about the ground.

(2)

All small trees, when planted, shall be at least five (5) feet high and have five (5) or more branches.

(d)

Location

(1)

There shall be a distance of forty (40) to fifty (50) feet between terrace area trees depending upon the size of tree and other factors.  Terrace trees shall be planted equal distance between the sidewalk or proposed sidewalk and back of the curb or proposed back of curb.  In terrace areas less than three (3) feet wide, planting will not be permitted.  Terrace area trees shall be a minimum of twenty-five (25) feet from an intersection.

(2)

Small sized trees shall be planted at least five (5) feet from driveways and large or medium sized trees shall be planted at least fifteen (15) feet from driveways.  Trees shall also be planted at least ten (10) feet from curb box/water shutoffs.

(3)

Evergreen trees or shrubs shall not be planted in a terrace area.

(4)

It shall be unlawful to plant or maintain shrubbery, ground cover or other plants not considered to be a deciduous leaf tree within terrace areas whose growth is in excess of eight (8) inches in height above the top of the nearest curb.

(5)

Tree grates shall be provided for terrace trees surrounded by concrete by the adjacent property owner and shall be level with adjacent concrete.

(e)

Minimum Opening to Be Maintained

Unless otherwise provided for in a written permit from the Director of Public Services or his designee, there must be at least nine (9) square feet of open ground about the base of each tree three (3) inches in diameter one (1) foot above the ground, and for each two (2) inches of increase in such diameter there must be an increase of at lease one (1) foot of open ground around each such tree.

(f)

Permitted Species

Only trees from the following approved listing shall be planted in a public terrace strip (between curb and sidewalk).  Trees are listed with their commercial name and grouped by suitability for various terrace strip widths.  The mature height is given following the name so that consideration can be given in cases where overhead wires are present:

4 Feet +

Globe Norway Maple

16 feet

Almira Norway Maple

16 feet

Amur Maackia

20 feet

Japenese Tree Lilac

20 feet

Anise Magnolia

20 feet

Callery Pear

20 feet

Toba Hawthorne

20 feet

Lavalle Hawthorne

20 feet

Washington Hawthorne

20 feet

Ranch Sargent Cherry

25 feet

Hop Hornbean

25 feet

Olmsted Columnar Norway Maple

30 feet

Mountain Ash

30 feet

Scanlon Red Maple

35 feet

6 Feet +

Chinese Pearleaf Crabapple

20 feet

Frau Louise Dittman Crabapple

20 feet

Manchurian Bird-Cherry

20 feet

Flame Crabapple

25 feet

Ruby Red Horsechestnut

25 feet

Seneca Sugar Maple

25 feet

Rancho Littleleaf Linden

25 feet

Golden-Leaf Sycamore Maple

25 feet

Pyramidal Sycamore Maple

25 feet

Globe Blue Ash

25 feet

Pyramidal European Ash

30 feet

Double Flowered Mazzard Cherry

30 feet

Sargent Cherry

30 feet

Mongolian Linden

30 feet

Wineleaf Sycamore Maple

30 feet

Manchurian Ash

30 feet

Cleveland Norway Maple

30 feet

Schwedler Norway Maple

30 feet

Pyramidal European Hornbeam

35 feet

Tilford Red Maple

35 feet

Littleleaf Linden

40 feet

Amur Corktree

45 feet

Columnar Sugar Maple

45 feet

8 Feet +

Kobus Magnolia

20 feet

Dolgo Crabapple

30 feet

Redbug Maple

45 feet

10 Feet +

Liset Crabapple

20 feet

Shakespeare Crabapple

20 feet

(g)

Certain Species Restricted

No person shall plant within the City of Oconto any female tree of the species Populas Deltoidea, commonly called the "Cottonwood," or any tree commonly called the seed-bearing Box Elder or Acer Negundo, which may now or hereafter become infested with Box Elder bugs, and such trees are hereby declared a nuisance.

(h)

Unlawfully Planted Trees

Trees, plants, or shrubs planted within any terrace or planting easement without the authorization and approval of the Director of Public Services or his designee may be removed.  The Director of Public Services or his designee shall notify the abutting owner in writing, listing the unlawfully planted trees or plants ordering their removal, and establishing a reasonable time within such removal shall be accomplished.  In the event that removal is not to be accomplished within the time specified, the City may remove such trees, plants, or shrubs and assess the costs thereof to the owner.