Individuals increasingly protagonists of the care of the green city: it is one of the new regulations of the green of the City of Milan, approved in mid-December in the city council.
"The document - reads the website of the municipality - contains many innovative elements for the protection of greenery, from the direct involvement of citizens in the management of public areas to the equivalence between public and private green, considered as" common good ", passing through regulation of the activities allowed in the parks, with a view to the defense of the territory, and the requirements for the protection of trees ".
"Finally we have a timely and complete regulation that will guarantee the best use of green areas - underlines the commissioner for Green Pierfrancesco Maran - We have an extraordinary heritage that must be defended and respected and that in the coming years will continue to grow thanks to the collaboration of many willing citizens, with this document, the result of a long and fruitful comparison with Municipalities, municipal administration sectors, associations, professional associations and relevant bodies, we can do it as best I thank the courtroom for giving its contribution to the its improvement ".
The regulation is divided into seven areas of intervention. In the general rules it is explained that the regulation applies both to public green areas and to private green areas, with the intent in both cases to safeguard them from an "incorrect and irresponsible" use.
The second section foresees the involvement of citizens in retraining and maintenance, through forms of voluntary collaboration or sponsorship, or through the care of shared gardens.
The chapters on protection and activities in public areas define the planned bans and permitted uses of public gardens.
The fifth section is dedicated to the protection of green areas and trees of historical, architectural and environmental value in public and private areas.
Each operation of maintenance, conservation and restoration of green areas must take into account all the elements that characterize the park or the historic garden in which it operates. For the monumental trees, valuable or deserving of particular protection sites in public or private areas, the killing is forbidden; any intervention is subject to municipal authorization after binding opinion of the State Forestry Corps, which can avail itself of the advice of the Regional Plant Health Service and can only be performed by specialized companies.
Here is what establishes the regulation regarding pruning. In the case of new plantations, indigenous or naturalized tree species should be favored. Strict methodologies of intervention for pruning are defined, which can be carried out routinely respecting the conformation of the tree and the rule of the "return" branch. The cuts must be clean and respect the bark on the remaining part, without leaving stumps. Pruning (including hedges) or killing is carried out also taking into account the breeding and nesting period of birds and, as a rule, between 1 October and 28 February, except for urgent interventions of prevailing public interest or faces to the protection of public safety. In case of killing granted, the applicant will have to plant one or more arboreal individuals, choosing primarily specimens belonging to native or naturalized species and of such dimensions as to ensure a rapid landscape effect. If it is not possible to carry out the compensation within the area where the intervention was carried out, this could take place in another place agreed with the municipal offices. In public and private building sites and in the immediate vicinity of the plants it is mandatory to take all necessary precautions to avoid any damage, with the protection of trees by the manufacturer, under penalty of damages.
Regarding the design, it is essential to consider the inclusion of new buildings in the existing urban green system. The Green Sector will provide support or release opinions or prescriptions in the case of building interventions that involve slaughtering, transplanting or inserting new trees, according to the procedures laid down by the current Building Regulations. The relationship between the Administration and farmers of crops is made through the stipulation of contracts and agreements. The tenants must ensure the care, cleanliness and fertility of the territory and report to the Administration any illegal settlements or unlawful dumping of waste.
Finally, the resolution establishes administrative sanctions, as required by art. 7 bis of Legislative Decree 267/2000 "Consolidated Law on Local Authorities", which will be applied by local police