Tree preservation still not taking root

St. Paul’s long-delayed tree preservation should be fully leafed out when it returns to the St. Paul City Council for a public hearing June 24, 2026. Council members May 20 again laid over the ordinance for additional revisions and yet another public hearing.

The council had hoped to adopt the ordinance that day.

Council President Rebecca Noecker said the intent is to have the ordinance and related rules ready to be put in place in late June. She also said there’s a need to get tree preservation measures implemented correctly, rather than to push through the ordinance and make changes later.

A city staff group with members from Public Works and Parks and Recreation’s Forestry Division continues to study the ordinance for potential revisions.

The community-led Tree Preservation ordinance Public Input Group, known as the TPO PIG, has continued to make recommendations. Most of the city’s 17 district councils are also weighing in with ideas.

St. Paul’s tree canopy has been decimated in recent years by emerald ash borer, with thousands of boulevard trees lost. Tree diseases and weather extremes including severe storms have taken a toll.

Area neighborhoods have had their share of battles over trees in the wake of street reconstruction efforts. The Wheelock-Grotto Area in Como had lost more than a dozen mature trees two years ago before more were lost in the first phase of a street project last year. Como residents sued but lost.

A Ramsey County Public Works Cleveland Avenue street reconstruction project in St. Anthony Park resulted in the loss of many mature trees a few years earlier.

Tree preservation has become an issue in the fight over upcoming Summit Avenue reconstruction.
Tree issues have also been raised in the context of equity and the urban heat island. Many low-income neighborhoods lack trees in streets and parks. Ward 4 Council Member Molly Coleman noted that parts of her ward are lacking in trees, when citywide equity is looked at.

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. But not only is the City Council considering its own efforts when it comes to trees along streets and in city parks, it is also looking at measures to address past problems. Another goal is to be able to take more enforcement measures against private contractors who damage trees and tree root systems on city property.

While there is strong interest in saving trees, drafting and implementation of the ordinance has taken much longer than anyone imagined. 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.

That earlier version was also criticized as lacking enforcement mechanisms when contractors damage trees.
Public input, led by the Ward 2 office, has also taken longer than originally thought. Many people have weighed in.

The challenge Public Works has outlined is to find ways to protect trees while making needed updates to city infrastructure.

Some points of the ordinance are meant to address that, such as hiring certified, independent arborists to work during planning and design of city projects. Arborists will also develop detailed tree surveys, 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. In some cases, trees will still have to be replaced with measures in place to sustain new trees.