The purpose of tree- and shrubbery-cutting regulations applicable to the shoreland area is to protect scenic beauty, control erosion and reduce effluent and nutrient flow from the shoreland. The provisions shall not apply to the removal of dead, diseased or dying trees or shrubbery at the discretion of the landowner, or to silvicultural thinning upon recommendation of a Department forester.
[Amended 8-19-2012 by Ord. No. 08192014A; 11-7-2017 by Ord. No. 11072017]
Tree and shrubbery cutting in an area parallel to the ordinary high-water mark, and extending 35 feet inland from all points along the ordinary high-water mark, shall be limited in accordance with the following provisions:
A. 
A person required to maintain or establish a vegetative buffer zone under § 208-22 may remove no more than 30 feet in any 100 feet, or 30% for lots less than 100 feet, as measured along the ordinary high-water mark, which may be clear cut to the depth of the thirty-five foot area in order to establish a viewing or access corridor.
B. 
Natural shrubbery shall be preserved as practicable. If the vegetation in a vegetative zone contains invasive species or dead or diseased vegetation, the owner of the shoreland property may remove the vegetation, except that if the owner removes all of the vegetation in the vegetation buffer zone, the owner shall establish a vegetative buffer zone with new vegetation that is equally effective in retarding the runoff, preventing erosion and preserving natural beauty.
C. 
Any natural shrubbery removed exceeding the standards set in § 208-22A and B shall be replanted at the owner's expense.
[Amended 11-7-2017 by Ord. No. 11072017]
Any path, road, or passage within the seventy-five-foot setback area shall not be permitted unless a variance is approved by the Village of Wrightstown Board of Appeals in accordance with § 208-42. This section does not apply to navigable agricultural and roadside ditches.
[Amended 11-7-2017 by Ord. No. 11072017]
As an alternative to § 208-22, a special cutting plan allowing greater cutting may be permitted by the Board of Appeals by issuance of a special exception permit, pursuant to § 208-41. An application for such a permit shall include a sketch of the lot providing the following information: location of parking, topography of the land, existing vegetation, proposed cutting, and proposed replanting. The Board of Appeals may grant such a permit only if it finds that such special cutting plans:
A. 
Will not cause undue erosion or destruction of scenic beauty.
B. 
Will provide substantial visual screening from the water of dwellings, accessory structures and parking areas. Where the plan calls for replacement plantings, the Board of Appeals may require the submission of a bond which guarantees the performance of the planned tree or shrubbery replacement by the lot owner.
From the inland edge of the thirty-five-foot area to the outer limits of the shoreland, the cutting of trees and shrubbery shall be allowed when accomplished using accepted forest management and soil conservation practices which protect water quality. (Note: An Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) Amendment may be required to be filed with an approved by the Brown County Planning Commission in accordance with the Brown County Sewage Plan, prior to any site preparation or construction. Please contact the Brown County Planning Commission at (920) 448-6400 for additional information.)
[Amended 11-7-2017 by Ord. No. 11072017]
From the inland edge of the thirty-five-foot strip to the outer limits of the shoreland jurisdictional area, the commercial harvesting of trees shall be allowed when accomplished under accepted forest management practices. The maintenance and improvement of water quality shall be emphasized in all timber harvesting operations. The purpose of this order will favor long-lived species adapted to the site and will prescribe slash disposal methods necessary for aesthetic value.