A couple weeks ago, our tree maintenance company requested that we contact our state legislators to oppose a NC bill requiring localities to receive state approval for future (and many existing) tree protection requirements. For decades, the state-created NC Forest Service has encouraged and assisted local governments in Developing Tree Protection Ordinances. NC State and other NC Universities have also gone to great lengths to educate local governments and the public about the importance and ways to develop tree protection ordinances. And now the Republican-majority NC General Assembly is setting itself up to negate these same local tree protection ordinances.