# Springfield City Council┃Sustainability & Environment 11/09/26


**Body:** Springfield Municipal Meetings
**Date:** November 08, 2026
**Jurisdiction:** SLED

**Tags:** Environment, Regulatory Compliance


Springfield City Council Sustainability & Environment Committee meeting, November 9, 2026: Members and the city attorney reviewed revisions to a proposed Urban Woodlands/tree-protection ordinance, which the chair plans to bring to the City Council for introduction the following week. The proposal would generally require a permit to remove five or more trees, establish application and review procedures, and require applicants to address environmental burdens such as flooding and soil erosion. The draft also clarifies tree-canopy measurement, creates an appeal process, and shortens the proposed effective-date period from 180 to 60 days. No vote was taken at this meeting.

Discussion focused on the proposed replacement-tree fee and compliance. The fee would be tied to the City’s annual tree-replacement contract, with an estimate of about $700 per tree; members expressed concern about the burden on smaller developers and discussed alternatives, including a possible $300 amount, an exemption or lower-cost threshold, and fee reductions for planting replacement trees. The attorney was asked to clarify how replacement planting would be documented and enforced, potentially requiring evidence to the city forester after 18–24 months. Members also noted that implementation could add work for the forestry division and should be considered in future budget discussions, but no funding allocation or procurement action was identified.

**Source:** Springfield Municipal Meetings