Once again, an initiative for a tree protection ordinance in Weilheim is in danger of failing: the building committee voted against a corresponding proposal from the Free Voters.
Weilheim
- There was a huge outcry when a huge ash tree was felled on private property on Bärenmühlweg two months ago, for which the city had made extra efforts when expanding the road. Once again, many complained, the fact that Weilheim had no tree protection regulations was taking revenge. Shortly afterwards, the two city councilors from the Free Voters (FW) submitted an official request: the administration should examine “how the trees in the Weilheim city area could be protected in order to prevent further avoidable tree felling in the future”. Because city trees are “all-rounders,” according to Romana Asam and Susann Enders: “They store climate-damaging carbon dioxide, provide oxygen, cool and purify the air, provide shade on hot days, dampen ambient noise and are home to many animals.”
The only viable option for the city is to enact a tree protection ordinance, emphasized Asam at the most recent building committee meeting. Manfred Stork, head of the city's building administration, also came to this conclusion. But at the same time he made it clear that the city council had repeatedly rejected the adoption of such statutes over the decades. Instead, “the approach was to protect trees that characterize the cityscape through development plans in individual cases”. At two citizens' meetings (1991 and 2016), a large majority of those present also spoke out against a tree protection ordinance.
“We rarely have such brazen cases”
Even now, there was no majority in favor of it during the preliminary consultation in the building committee - even though Stefan Emeis (Greens), the city council's environmental and climate officer, had strongly advocated for it. He pointed out the diverse benefits of large trees and explained that around 200 new plantings would be necessary to replace the CO2 effect of a large tree. Procedures like those recently adopted on Bärenmühlweg (“cut away first, then submit a building application”) should no longer exist.
“We rarely have such brazen cases,” countered Mayor Markus Loth (BfW). He sees “the great danger” that the issuance of a tree protection ordinance would initially lead to felling. Similar to Klaus Gast (CSU): Such a policy has been “repeatedly rejected because otherwise no tree will grow old enough to fall under this regulation”. Gerd Ratter (ÖDP) also expressed “doubts as to whether the regulation is the right means”.
Include more trees in development plans?
Since no tree felling is allowed until October for reasons of vegetation protection, the necessary time window would now be available, argued applicant Asam. But CSU spokeswoman Marion Lunz-Schmieder warned: "We won't get it done within four or five months - and then there will be felling." Better than a tree protection ordinance is to "stipulate even more trees in development plans" and punish violations more consistently.
BfW parliamentary group spokeswoman Brigitte Holeczek also called for the latter. She also referred to the “great obligations and high costs” that a tree protection ordinance means for property owners: “This is an infringement on private property.” It would be better to “raise awareness of the fact that trees are important.” As reported, climate protection manager Angelika Baur recently presented the draft of a tree support guideline, which is intended to create incentives for citizens to preserve large trees on a voluntary basis. Rupert Pentenrieder (BfW), the city council representative for urban green spaces, also supported this approach in the sense of raising awareness.
Appeal to awareness alone is not enough
As a climate scientist, Stefan Emeis said that he unfortunately had to realize that the decades-long attempt to raise awareness was not enough. It probably won't work without a regulation: "We have to find something, an appeal to awareness alone is not enough." One should "try the path of a tree protection regulation now," demanded Green Party colleague Alfred Honisch. He could not see any “harassment” of citizens. “Let’s try it out”, which the CSU once again found was the wrong approach: “You can’t deal with citizens like that,” emphasized Gast.
Ultimately, the majority of the building committee voted against issuing a tree protection ordinance. Only the two Green representatives and Bernhard Kerscher (SPD) were in favor of it. The FW city councilors are not members of the building committee and were therefore not allowed to vote. The decision will be made next Thursday, April 25th, in the city council (public meeting from 6:30 p.m. in the town hall).