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By former chairs of the Atlanta Tree Conservation Commission

The Tree Protection Ordinance was established under the stewardship of Mayor Maynard Jackson to ensure future generations of Atlantans the many benefits derived from living in an Urban Forest. Trees clean our air, shade our homes and streets and prevent storm water runoff from spoiling our creeks and rivers. To ensure the protection of those benefits the Tree Protection Ordinance was written to ensure “No net loss of trees” in the city. Subsequent amendments to the ordinance were added to provide the city with strong enforcement powers to prevent wanton destruction of trees and ensure that funds are available for replenishing this forest.

Tom Coffin, Ph.D., has served this city admirably, first as a member of the initial Tree Conservation Commission and later as a city arborist where he helped citizens develop improvements to the ordinance for tree replenishment and ordinance enforcement.
The Tree Trust Fund is an example of such an improvement that as recently as September 2008 provided 2.4 million dollars to Trees Atlanta for planting of street trees throughout our city.

Tom was diligent in enforcing the Tree Protection Ordinance, issuing citations to owners, developers and tree cutters for destroying trees in violation of our ordinance. His level of work is evidenced in the official Arborists records. His performance alone was significantly more then all the other arborists combined. For these efforts Tom was fired by the city for bringing to the attention of his supervisors the nearly total lack of enforcement on the part of his subordinates.

It should be noted that his superiors had conceived a “Plan” which allowed the city to fire him without cause. Tom Coffin has every right as an American citizen to have his day in court. He is entitled to have the truth come out to restore his good name and provide him with the job which he so admirably performed in protecting Atlanta’s trees.

Tom needs your financial support in his lawsuit against the City of Atlanta. Please contribute generously to his legal support fund. Future generations need your help so they may enjoy the legacy of living in an Urban Forest.

Very truly yours,

Sheldon Schlegman, Mary Catherine Martin, Sarah Mock, Tom Kowalski, Jackie Echols

The former Chairs of Atlanta’s Tree Conservation Commission

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