Cedar Key News - HERITAGE TREES OF CEDAR KEY

Historic Trees Official Designation

The City Commission, at the meeting of 21 January 2014, officially designated specific trees in Cedar Key as Historic, Specimen, and Landmark Trees.

The first trees to be considered by the commission were trees that are in the public Right of Way.

The tree survey, started in 2008 and updated in 2013, is contained in four volumes and they are now on display at City Hall along with a map showing the locations of the trees.

The books are complete with pictures, tree information, and data.

The Cedar Key Heritage Tree Inventory was conceptualized to be a planning tool that would serve the City of Cedar Key Community Redevelopment Agency during the planning stage of a large streets and utilities project.

To inventory and objectively assign relative values to the heritage trees in the city, tools and methods were devised. The data obtained helped to identify, preserve, and protect heritage trees during the planned street and utilities project and now to better manage these historic trees for future generations.

The benefits of having these trees designated as Historic, Specimen, and Landmark are many.

In the LAWS OF CEDAR KEY in Chapter 4: Land Development Code, it is stated that the city’s trees:

enhance the attractiveness of the city;
conserve energy through the cooling and shading effects of trees;
abate nuisances such as noise, glare, heat, air pollution and storm water runoff;
mitigate conflicts between adjoining land uses;
preserve the environmental and ecological benefits of existing native trees and vegetation;
promote safe and efficient use of off-street parking facilities and other vehicular use areas by:

1. clearly defining and buffering the bounds of vehicular use areas, particularly where they abut public rights of way, so that movement, noise, and glare in one area does not adversely distract activity in another area;

2. limiting physical site access to established points of ingress and egress; and

3. limiting the internal movement of vehicles and pedestrians to designated traffic configurations.

conserve the city's irreplaceable natural heritage for existing and future generations.

The extensive, detailed inventory was done in 2008. The trees (162) were photographed and the information logged. In 2013 the trees were re-surveyed, new photos were taken and major changes noted.

The original survey and inventory were a joint effort by: UF IFAS Extension Levy County, Division of Forestry-Levy County Forester, SRWMD, City of Cedar Key Public Works, Cedar Key Community Development Agency, the Cedar Key Garden Club, and Cedar Key Water and Sewer District, and many volunteers.

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