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Treescape
 TreeScape's role in the community is to help sustain Houston's urban forest through preserving existing trees and encouraging the planting of new trees. The TreeScape program is a direct outgrowth of a coalition organized in 1994 to add tree preservation incentives to Houston's Tree and Shrub Ordinance. From the beginning of its deliberations, this coalition agreed that implementation of the ordinance would be difficult for already understaffed city departments. The need for a citizens' program to help became increasingly clear, and thus TreeScape was founded.
Members of the original ordinance coalition, representatives from both the development and conservation communities, remain committed to tree preservation in Houston in either a steering committee or advisory capacity to the TreeScape program. This program has now evolved into a collaborative effort of Trees For Houston, The Park People and Scenic Houston.
TreeScape works closely with the City of Houston to help implement the Tree and Shrub Ordinance and to familiarize the community with its requirements. TreeScape also assists developers and builders in obtaining their construction goals while maintaining green space. TreeScape goals are accomplished by responding to calls from concerned citizens, reviewing new planning and development plats, conducting site visits in order to relay information back to the planning department and city forester, and educating the development community and public about the ordinance. TreeScape's vision in many cases has broadened developers' and architects' understanding of the most effective tree protection methods and of the need to hire a professional forester early in the process before construction or demolition begins.
TreeScape will continue in the role of facilitator, mediator and positive influence, encouraging and educating the Houston community in the preservation and planting of trees and green areas.
For more information or to report ordinance violations, please contact TreeScape Coordinator, Catherine Burst, at (713) 840-8733 or by email at cburst@treescape.org, or visit www.treescape.org.
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