I was driving down Kendall Drive close to arriving at an open house being held by Vivian Barger at 8435 SW 102 Place. I picked 103rd Ave., made my turn and headed north.
It doesn’t take long to see a major change in the scenery around you. There are these really nice Royal Poinciana trees lining both sides of the street and their blooms were everywhere. These trees are providing spectacular color, habitat and lots of shade in this area. Other areas in Miami-Dade haven’t been so fortunate and are works in progress since their trees were either moved for construction or damaged by wind. Some of the larger trees have been gone for so long its easy to forget their benefits and how important they really are.
The Department of Environmental Resources Management (DERM) list a few benefits on their web site, like a well shaded home can cut your air-conditioning costs by up to 50%, the fact that Miami-Dade’s trees remove 5,425 tons of carbon dioxide from the air each year and trees can increase your property value by about 15%.
Section 24-60 of the Miami-Dade County Code protects our trees and promotes canopy replacement by requiring tree removal permits and tree trimming guidelines. This is administered through DERM’s Urban Tree Program, Code Enforcement Section.
There are a number of definitions and exceptions to the permit requirements. You can access this information and permit request forms on their web site.
They’ve defined a tree as any woody or fibrous perennial plant having a minimum trunk “dbh” (diameter at breast height, measured 4.5′ from the ground) of 3″ or greater or with an overall height of 12 or more feet.
Another definition to take note of is a “specimen” tree. These are trees that have grown to 18″ or greater in diameter. This definition is important because it can affect individual home owners and the trees they can remove on their private property. Depending on the tree species and size, you may be required to obtain a permit first. They also provide a list of tree species that are prohibited and don’t require a permit to remove and links to help identify them.
Tree trimming must be done according to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) guidelines in the A-300 Standard Practices for Tree Care Operations. Any activity that can effectively destroy a specimen or protected tree species violates Miami-Dade County Code.
If you’re considering a change in your yard that involves moving or removing trees, browse through these rules first. If a permit is required, you can download DERM’s Tree Removal Permit Application Package or call them at (305) 372-6574. Further guidelines or permits may be required if you live in an incorporated area of Miami-Dade County. Check for local city or village regulations as well and please do your part to protect our canopy and avoid possible penalties.
The house at 8438 SW 102 Place turned out to have it’s own tropical paradise in the back yard, providing a very tranquil setting to come home to. It’s still on the market so imagine a drive home through that canopy of trees to enjoy the gorgeous foliage in your own back yard.
Nice. 