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CODE & CANOPY

Policy Recommendations for Tree Preservation

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CODE & CANOPY

Code & Canopy addresses canopy preservation in urban, suburban, and rapidly developing areas. It focuses on unregulated canopy loss from development, not responsible forestry or timber management on rural lands.

 

While grounded in the Cape Fear region, Code & Canopy is a flexible menu of policy options—adaptable to communities with different ecosystems and growth pressures across North Carolina and beyond.

By working with policymakers, planners, developers, and residents across the region, we aim to halt and reverse canopy loss, preserve community character, and safeguard the environmental services our forests provide. We’re here to make sure growth doesn’t come at the expense of the natural infrastructure that makes this place beautiful, livable, and resilient.

Policy Priorities

Additional Resources

Code & Canopy includes a robust suite of additional resources—such as current local ordinances, a glossary of key terms, guidance on asserting local authority, and model code language—to help communities strengthen tree protections and implement urban forestry best practices.

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