As used in this Part 9, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
CALIPER A measure of diameter of nursery stock tree trunk taken six inches above the ground.
CLEAR-CUTTING The removal of 30% or more of the trees within woodlands on a lot.
DBH Diameter at breast height; a measure of trunk diameter in inches, taken at 4 1/2 feet above the natural ground line. DBH measurement is applied to existing trees (compared to caliper used for nursery stock).
EVERGREEN TREE A woody plant capable of reaching a minimum mature height of 20 feet with persistent foliage, resulting in a year-round (evergreen) foliage screening capacity.
HAZARD TREE A tree with uncorrectable defects severe enough to pose present danger to people or buildings under normal conditions, as determined by the Township Landscape Architect.
HERITAGE TREE A specifically selected tree, identified and considered worthy of preservation by the Township because of the species, size, rarity or historical importance, or having a DBH greater than 40 inches or an age greater than 75 years, whether located on private property or public property.
LAND DISTURBANCE An activity involving grading, tilling, digging or filling of ground or stripping of vegetation or any other activity that causes an alteration to the natural condition of the land.
NATURAL RESOURCES PLAN A plan which shall accompany an application for an earth disturbance permit, grading permit, demolition permit, building permit, subdivision, land development or zoning change application. The natural resources plan shall contain existing and proposed buildings and structures, driveways and parking areas, drainage structures, water detention/retention areas, utilities, construction material staging area and all limits of grading. The natural resources plan shall denote each tree to be saved or removed, the location of the tree protection fencing and the proposed schedule of replacement trees, natural steep slopes, man-made steep slopes, wetlands, watercourses, and floodplain, and shall include a Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory (PNDI).
PRESERVED TREE A preserved tree is any tree that is to be properly protected and not destroyed or injured during construction as required by this Part 9.
REMOVED TREE A removed tree is any tree that is destroyed, injured or otherwise not protected according to the provisions of this Part 9.
REPLACEMENT TREE A tree required to be planted per this Part 9 to compensate for the removal or damage of existing trees on a site.
ROOT PROTECTION ZONE Area within a tree's temporary protection fencing and maintained throughout the entire period of construction. Protective fencing shall be placed at a horizontal distance from the trunk of one foot for every one inch of DBH (diameter at breast height) or to the outer edge of the dripline, whichever is greater.
SHADE TREE A woody plant that has a minimum three-inch DBH, at least 14 feet high with a minimum eight-foot canopy spread, and a full branching structure.
SHRUB A woody plant, usually with multiple stems, each of which has a DBH of less than three inches. Shrubs are generally less than 20 feet in height at maturity.
WOODLAND Any area, grove or stand of woody plants, evergreen or deciduous, covering 10,000 square feet of foliage area or greater, dominated by four-inch to six-inch caliper trees or larger with crowns that interlock to form sixty-percent to one-hundred-percent closed canopy. All portions of the contiguous canopy area and layered vegetation beneath it shall be woodland whether located on a single lot or portions of other lots. For the purposes of this Part 9, the extent of any woodland plant community or any part thereof shall be measured from the outermost dripline of all the trees in the community. Woodlands shall include any area where woodland disturbance has occurred within the previous three years which would have met the definition of woodland prior to timbering or disturbance.