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AN ORDINANCE TO A~END CHAPTER 36 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA, 1988, BY ADDING ARTICLE III THERETO, PERTAINING TO TREES. BE IT ORDAINED by the Council of the City of Portsmouth, Virginia: 1. That Article III be added to Chapter 36 of the Code of the City of Portsmouth, Virginia, 1988, to read as follows: ARTICLE III. Tree Planting and Replacement Section 36-50. Purpose. The regulations as herein set forth have been made in order to assure the maintenance of an appropriate canopy of trees in the city and in accordance with findings that: (a) Trees are proven producers of oxygen, a necessary element for human survival; (b) Trees appreciably reduce the level of environmentally dangerous carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and play a vital role in purifying the air; (c) Trees have an important role in neutralizing waste water passing from the surface of the ground to the groundwater aquifers; (d) Trees, through their root systems, stabilize the ground water table and the soil, thereby playing an important role in erosion control and flood control; (e) Trees are an invaluable physical, aesthetic, and psychological counterpoint to the urban setting, providing shade and cooling the air and land, reducing noise levels and glare, and introducing visual variety into the urban landscape; and (f) Trees, for the reasons listed above, have an important impact on the desirability of land and on property values, These regulations are established pursuant to authority granted under Section 15.1-14.2 of the Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended, and refelct a determination that the planting and preservation of trees is essential for the present and future health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of the City of Portsmouth. Section 36-51. Definitions. Caliper - The diameter of a tree measured six (6) inches above existing grade.