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100 acres of trees are being cut down as we speak on SE 15th street between SE 15 Ave and 23rd Place.

No environmental assessment was done and no neighborhood meeting was had as required.

The owner, who not had farmed the land for more than 15 years, has an AG designation and got around the permit process with a commercial tree removal permit.

How can he maintain an AG status when he has not done any farming on the property for 15 years? The trees that were growing were not planted pine, but trees that came up from fallow land.

Those of us trying to provide food for our community are only given a difficult time to get AG status, while this man abuses the system..

It doesn’t feel fair that the neighbors around this 100+ parcel shouldn’t have some input. That large trees aren’t marked for saving under the ordinances that protect trees.

I am very upset that the process I was told would be followed by Mark Brown at EPD and Lilliana at the City, were not followed. Especially that is is based on false pretenses of the owner being in Agriculture.

How can a right to farm act, protect someone who isn’t farming? Can this process be stopped until this is cleared up? I just want him to follow the rules the rest of us have to follow. There are wetlands not being protected in there. Lots of wildlife that will be displaced, not to mention how ugly it will be. With climate change looming we need all the trees we can save.

Joni Ellis
352 262 7300

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