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MAR, 12 1986 BOOK 63 FACE 869 7 Considerable discussion ensued as to when you need or don't need a permit, and Commissioner Bird could not believe our ordinance says if you do this clearing by hand, it is okay, but if you bring in heavy equipment it is not. The Board wished to have our law on this, and Planner Challacombe quoted from the ordinance which states that grubbing and land clearing is the removal or destruction of any living rooted shrubbery. When heavy equipment goes in there, they take out root systems, the understory, everything. If you are taking out an individual tree with a chain saw, you would go to the stump, but you wouldn't be taking out the root system. Once you get into the root system, that is when you have land clearing. Chairman Scurlock noted the tree is down in any event, but Planner Challacombe explained that you are not disturbing the understory, the soil, or altering the stormwater management or vegetation profile of the land. Attorney Vitunac further noted that while land clearing says it is removal of any vegetation from the land, it does not cover the removal of trees. Chairman Scurlock asked if it is not logical that we could have a preconstruction,meeting with all the people involved in this activity and explain just what is involved and what isn't because it seems some of this is quite "iffy," and confusing. He felt we should either have a workshop or clear up the language. Commissioner -Bowman agreed that a lot of this is done through ignorance, and noted she previously had suggested a workshop re the treatment of mangroves. Commissioner Bird continued to discuss clearing by hand or by heavy equipment, and did not feel that is spelled out in our ordinance. Director Keating believed Planner Challacombe was using that as an illustration. He felt it would be almost impossible to do what is defined as grubbing without heavy equipment. 36