This environmental standards section applies to the following zoning districts:

(a) Tree and Forest Preservation.
(1) Applicability. This section shall apply to all land-disturbing activities on properties containing wooded areas.
(2) Retention of Existing Canopy. The following table shall be used to determine the minimum amount of existing vegetation canopy that must be retained during land-disturbance activity.

Example: For a property of twenty acres with fifty percent canopy cover (i.e., ten acres), a development would be required to maintain at least seven acres (ten acres × 0.70) of canopy cover.
(3) Preference to Stands of Vegetation. The retention standards outlined above shall be applied to retain high-quality stands of native trees, undisturbed woodlands, and corridors of contiguous vegetation in priority over individual specimen trees, or younger stands of vegetation. No more than ten percent of the canopy retention standard shall be met by preserving individual trees not included within preferred wooded areas as defined in this subsection. Where individual specimen trees are to be preserved, preference shall be given to protecting heritage trees that are of particular value due to their type, size or age.
(4) Smaller Parcels. For parcels of land less than two acres, the preservation standards outlined in subsection (a)(2), Retention of Existing Canopy of this section may be altered by the planning director to allow preservation of individual specimen trees or tree lines along property borders.
(5) Overlapping Preservation Areas. Where acreage set aside to fulfill the conservation or buffer requirements found in Sections 20.05.039, EN-02 (Environmental standards--Steep slopes), 20.05.041, EN-04 (Environmental standards--Riparian buffer), 20.05.042, EN-05 (Environmental standards--Karst Geology), and 20.05.043, EN-06 (Environmental standards--Wetlands) also meets the requirements for tree and forest preservation under subsection (a) of this section, such acreage shall be counted toward fulfillment of all applicable requirements.
(6) Where contiguous areas of at least one-half acre of tree cover are required to be preserved, a conservation and/or tree preservation easement shall be required per Chapter 20.07, Design Standards. The edges of such easements shall be delineated ten feet beyond the driplines of the trees to be preserved. (Ord. 06-24 § 3 (part), 2006).