Paducah Tree Advisory Board trying to grow relationship with community

At the urging of Paducah Mayor George Bray, the Paducah Tree Advisory Board held a special meeting on March 29th to look for ways to grow its relationship with developers and the community.

Bray said, "One of the Tree Advisory Board’s purposes is to promote urban forestry. I asked for the Board to hold this special meeting so that we can start educating the community about our tree canopy. We want development and new housing, but at the same time, we want to make sure that Paducah continues to have a wide range of healthy trees.”

New developments that are coming to Paducah or are already underway, according to the city, have or will lead to the removal of trees.  Regulations currently include the Paducah Tree Advisory Board when seeking recommendations for trees in commercial developments or along city rights-of-way. 

Jonathan Perkins, a landscape architect and Tree Advisory Board Chairman, said, "There are Paducah ordinances for managing trees on commercial property. However, we want to increase our presence in the community through educational opportunities and by reviewing how we can provide additional input to the planning and development process, particularly as it relates to residential development.”

In addition to the board, the meeting included Mayor Bray, City Manager Daron Jordan, members of the Paducah Civic Beautification Board, and the Paducah Garden Club.

Photo courtesy of the City of Paducah