Atlanta City Council will hold meeting on protecting city’s tree canopy

The Atlanta City Council will hold a teleconference work session on rewriting the city’s tree protection ordinance at 10 a.m. on Thursday.

For the better part of a decade, the city and tree advocacy groups have struggled to strengthen a city ordinance that is supposed to preserve the canopy.

The lush blanket of trees that covers Atlanta’s neighborhoods has long been a significant part of the city’s identity. Tree advocates say the recent real estate boom, coupled with insufficient rules to protect trees, have jeopardized the canopy.