For the Antigo Times

General Overview

The City of Antigo recently updated their Trees and Shrubs ordinance (Sec. 34-106 – Sec.34-118).  The intent and purpose of the ordinance is to regulate and establish policy for the control of planting, removal, maintenance and protection of trees and shrubs in or upon all public areas and terrace areas of the city to:

1. Eliminate and guard against dangerous conditions which may result in injury to persons using the streets, alleys, sidewalks or other public areas;
2. Promote and enhance the beauty and general welfare of the city;
3. Prohibit the undesirable and unsafe planting, removal, treatment and maintenance of trees and shrubs located in public areas; and
4. Guard all trees and shrubs, both public and private, within the city against the spread of disease, insects or pests.

Financing Maintenance and Removal

Major changes to the ordinance were made in the section of removal and maintenance of trees in City owned public right of way.  Prior to being updated the ordinance placed the financial burden of maintenance and removal on the adjacent property owner.

Because the City of Antigo values trees and wants to promote a healthy urban canopy they supported the decision to budget funds within the general operating budget to maintain, remove, and plant trees on public property and on City owned right-of-way.

The updated ordinance now reads: (Sec. 34-112), “The entire cost of planting, removal, maintenance, and protection of trees and shrubs in all public areas of the city, when performed by department employees or their contractors, at the direction of the city forester, shall be borne by the city out of the department budgets, or from funds donated or otherwise acquired for this purpose.  When a private party other than the city plants, removes, maintains, or protects public trees or shrubs the said party shall incur all expenses connected therewith.

Permits
It is important to note that a permit is required for anyone wishing to plant, remove, maintain, or protect any public tree or shrub.  Please contact the Park, Recreation and Cemetery Office if you have concerns about the health of your tree in the boulevard/terrace area or public right-of-way.  Our staff will enter your concern or request in our work-order system, and determine the next course of action (715.623.3633 extension-131 or [email protected]).

Policies

• Removal: When possible crews will prune trees instead of removing.
• EAB: We will be removing ash trees in public right-of-way or on public property.
• Planting Requests: We will take requests from property owners wishing to have a tree planted in their boulevard/terrace area or in public right-of-way.  However, we cannot guarantee placement due to various factors including, but not limited to:  utility locations, budget, size of boulevard/terrace area or city owned right-of way.
• Maple Trees: The City of Antigo will not plant maple trees in any boulevard/terrace areas or city owned right-of-way.  The preferred target of one tree species for the entire tree population is 10%.  The City of Antigo is currently at the 10% threshold.  Limiting species to 10% or less of the total tree population allows our community to be better prepared in case of disease or pest that threatens a specific tree species such as Dutch Elm or Emerald Ash Borer.

Erik Rantala, Administrator, with Langlade County Forestry and Recreation and Sarah Repp, with Antigo Park, Recreation and Cemetery Department collaborated to compile the above educational information for our residents and visitors.

“This document was funded in part by an urban forestry grant from the State of Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Forestry Program as authorized under s. 23.097, Wis. Stat.”