Town may toughen tree rules; Chapel Hill, NC

chapelhillnews.com Town may toughen tree rules:
Proposed changes to the town's tree-protection rules would require more than four out of 10 homeowners to keep at least 40 percent of their land covered by a tree canopy.
The Town Council will hold a public hearing on the changes Monday night at Town Hall. The meeting begins at 7 p.m.
The proposal is drawing criticism from some citizens and questions from the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce.
'It would appear to me you are about to go overboard again,' local builder Gary Buck wrote in an e-mail to the council. 'To stimulate business and well-being, you must have lessregulation, not more.'
The tree-protection rules aim to maintain the benefits trees offer the town: erosion and flooding control, noise buffers, pollutant absorption, climate moderation and wildlife shelter and food.