This division was formed to create, maintain, manage, and preserve Leon County's Canopy Roads. This program is responsible for implementing the Canopy Roads Management Plan. This includes review of tree removal requests; the planning and acquisition of scenic easements; the pruning and removal of high risk trees; and the planting of trees and shrubs for canopy creation and enhancement and buffer establishment.
This program implements the joint County/City Canopy Roads Management Plan on 76 miles of designated canopy roads.
Vertical Clearance Pruning (elevating)
Overhead obstructions can damage vehicles traveling public roadways. A minimum clearance of 14' 6'' is required by federal and state guidelines. Maximum vehicle height without special permits is 13'6''. Tree limbs can be obstructions that damage taller vehicles. National guidelines are used so that vehicle operators coming from any portion of the country can have a reasonable idea of what to expect and arrive safely. Some portions of the canopy roads are posted at heights below this with alternate routes available. This was done a few years ago as part of a process to make the roads as safe as possible, while still protecting their beauty. In other areas, if the removal of a few limbs made the site safe without disfiguring the tree or removing large amounts of the crown, pruning was performed. This pruning is an ongoing process as trees grow and the weight of growing limbs causes them to grow closer to the ground. This is especially noticeable during wet weather with the added weight of the water in the tree. Recently portions of Miccosukee Road near Crump Road were pruned for height clearance (elevated) to the legal minimum. All county roads are checked and pruned periodically for this purpose. This is one of many maintenance practices that help the canopy roads be preserved by preventing vehicle (and occupant) / tree conflicts.