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AUG 17 1993 POK 54 PACE 36 14. Page 11, Section 9 A (6) suggest adding to existing language at end of sentence ", except for light shearing, for shaping or hedging." 15. Page 12, Section 10 B, suggest adding additional sentence "Access by foot shall be only via designated crossovers." 16. Page 15, Section 11 E, seventh line should read "...natural growth of trees and vegetation, high winds, hurricanes, tornadoes, or flooding on the site." Minor typographical or grammatical corrections have not been included herein and will be made prior to the hearing on the original draft. TO: The Chairman and Members, Board,of County Commission, Indian River County, Florida FROM: William L. Bidlinamayer SUBJECT: The West Indian trees of Indian River ount DATE: August 17, 1983 Since awareness of the decrease in numbers of the oaks and pines in Indian River County has been a major factor in stimulating this Tree Protection Ordinance, I would like to bring to your attention the existence of a large group of native species that should also be protected due to their scarcity and to the unique diversity they add to our landscape. Indian River County lies in the transition area between the temperate and tropical zones. In consequence, the county is too warm to satisfy the dormancy requirements of many temperate zone trees and too cold for many tropical species. The geographic range of•most of the trees found in North Florida extend far beyond Florida's borders, even into southern Canada, whereas South Florida is the only area of the United States that native tropical trees, similar to those in the Bahamas and the West Indies, can be found. The table below shows the number of tree species that may be found in and north of Alachua County (Gainesville) and in and south of Dade and Collier Counties, Florida. Shown also is the number -of species in Indian River.County and their affinities: _ TEMPERATE TREES TROPICAL TREES Alachua County north 144 0 Indian River County 40 39 Dade -Collier County south 19 121 Of the 144 species found in North Florida, 40 are found in Indian River County. Of these, 21 do not extend their ranges farther than Central Florida (laurel oak, prickly ash, Florida elm, water hickory, others) while 19 are found throughout the state (live oak, red maple, wax myrtle, pondland bald cypress, other). Of the 121 speciesnative to South Florida, 39 occur here (gumbo -limbo, strangler fig, torchwood, white stopper, and others). The largest numbers of these are found adjacent to the Indian River, because of greater protection from frost. It is common for trees under stress (whether here, near a desert or at the edge of the tundra) to be greatly reduced in size, and many of the West Indian species in Indian River County do not attain the sizes achieved in tropical climates. In their book, The Native Trees of Florida, West and Arnold define a tree as a woody plant having a well defined stem, a more or less well defined crown, and attaining a height of at least 8 feet with a trunk diameter not less than 2 inches. The West Indian species here are trees and the Commissioners of Indian River County should provide for them in this Tree Protection Ordinance. 73