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August 15, 2017
AUSTIN, Texas — Greg Abbott insists he doesn't hate trees. But Texas' Republican governor and many conservatives in its Legislature do hate what they see as government infringing on property owners' rights, and have launched an unprecedented effort to cut down tree protection regulations sprouting across America's second-largest state.
In recent years, cities nationwide have gotten more vigilant about safeguarding their fauna, hiring professional arborists and toughening rules about how trees should be cared for. Fifty-plus Texas cities have adopted tree ordinances, including Austin, which prohibits cutting down most “heritage” trees, or 10 special species whose thick trunks indicate old age.
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