Michigan City Tree Board pushes ordinance updates and canopy restoration fund as development grows

WENDY BACHER, Michigan City public works director, told the Tree Board on March 4 that staff and the city forester are preparing proposed changes to the city's vegetation and tree preservation ordinances intended to strengthen protections and make the rules clearer across permitting and subdivision processes.

The discussion focused on moving beyond a species-specific approach to preservation and toward protecting canopy as a collective resource, Bacher said. "We're trying to broaden it a little bit to get more tree protection, so that there could be more when you do the tree inventory," she said, arguing that canopy measures would better capture collective environmental value than a narrow species list.

Why it matters: Board members said development in Michigan City has led to tree loss in some projects and that the current code's protections are scattered across different chapters. Staff said consolidating and clarifying the rules would help planners, developers and residents understand mitigation and permitting requirements up front.

Board members and staff described several related changes under consideration: clearer cross-references so applicants see tree protections during site-development review; improved language about when inventories and forester assessments are required; stronger licensing language for tree-care contractors; and a named mitigation or "Canopy Restoration Fund" to receive payments when reforestation or compensatory planting is required.

Examples and enforcement: Bacher cited recent development work where mitigation was imposed through stormwater or site requirements and noted one project contributed $6,000 into the mitigation bank. "If it's a big subdivision, you do have to do a lot of tree clearing to get in your roads and utilities," she said, adding that early engagement with the forester helps identify what can be preserved.

Board members pushed for stronger accountability where trees are removed without permits. One member warned that mitigation "does not make up for what is lost," and urged the board to balance developer incentives with penalties for noncompliance.

Staff follow-up and next steps: Bacher said staff and the forester have draft amendments and will bring proposals to the Tree Board for review in coming weeks. She also said the city forester is creating a mitigation bank and inventory in GIS to guide strategic plantings and long-term canopy tracking.

The board did not vote on ordinance language at the meeting; members were asked to review the relevant code sections (chapter 102, vegetation ordinances and related site-development rules) and provide feedback for a consolidated package to present at a future meeting.