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Q. My question concerns these ubiquitous Tree Protection Area signs.

Generally a complete forest is clear-cut for a development, then a couple of trees at one corner are enclosed in an orange plastic fence with a sign labeled "Tree Protection Area" followed by an incorrectly spelled Spanish translation.

The latest of these is on Glen Eden Road between Edwards Mill and Blue Ridge roads and involves the Glen Lake development. In this area a large wooded area was completely cut down with no residual trees. The resultant entire barren area is now enclosed in this orange plastic with Tree Protection Area signs distributed regularly throughout the barrier.

I thought the City of Raleigh had regulations concerning tree protection. It seems that they could not have been followed in this case. I also wonder why the Tree Protection Area signs are in use at this site since not a single tree was spared. The sad irony is difficult to miss.

Thanks,

Keith Nance

A. Chris Crum, forestry specialist for the City of Raleigh, is not familiar with this development, but he does know a lot about tree protection areas.

Tree conservation areas must be established on developments that are two acres or larger, Crum said. Ten or 15 percent (depending on the type of development) of the trees must be saved and the rest can be removed.

Although the city does not mandate which trees stay or go, Crum said developers must follow the city code, which states that trees should be left in certain areas to reduce some of the noise and dust caused by construction. Such locations include between the development and the road; between the development and its neighbors; and around the perimeter of the property.

"The trees serve as a buffer," Crum said.

While it might seem like the city would encourage saving certain kinds of trees -- old or rare, for example -- this is not the case. Crum said large trees are more difficult for developers to deal with because they have large root balls, and all of that area needs to be avoided during construction.

The trees that remain after an area is cleared are surrounded by the orange "tree protection" signs that help ensure their survival through the grading process and through the rest of construction.

Not all orange fenced areas are tree protection zones. Developers can use the fences for other purposes.

"In some cases, it means "tree protection area" but they can also be protection for a (stream) buffer," Crum said. "I've even seen the fence used as a boundary for a dropoff."

There are many reasons to want to keep trees around, Crum said.

"The more trees, the better the air quality is going to be," he said, adding that trees also buffer runoff to improve water quality.

Trees also serve an aesthetic purpose and increase property values.