Virginia SB 419: Conservation of trees; Town of Vienna.

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2020 SESSION

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20102676D

SENATE BILL NO. 419 

Offered January 8, 2020 

Prefiled January 7, 2020 

A BILL to amend and reenact � 15.2-961.1 of the Code of 
 Virginia, relating to conservation of trees; Town of Vienna. 
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Patron-- Petersen 

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Referred to Committee on Local Government 

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Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That � 15.2-961.1 of the Code of Virginia is amended and 
 reenacted as follows:

� 15.2-961.1. Conservation of trees during land development 
 process in localities belonging to a nonattainment area for air quality 
 standards.

A. For purposes of this section, "tree canopy" or 
 "tree cover" includes all areas of canopy coverage by self-supporting 
 and healthy woody plant material exceeding five feet in height, and the extent 
 of planted tree canopy at 20-years maturity.

B. Any locality within Planning District 8 that meets the 
 population density criteria of subsection A of � 15.2-961 and is classified as 
 an eight-hour nonattainment area for ozone under the federal Clean Air Act and 
 Amendments of 1990, in effect as of July 1, 2008, may adopt an ordinance 
 providing for the conservation of trees during the land development process 
 pursuant to the provisions of this section. In no event shall any local tree 
 conservation ordinance adopted pursuant to this section also impose the tree 
 replacement provisions of � 15.2-961.

C. The ordinance shall require that the site plan for any 
 subdivision or development provide for the preservation or replacement of trees 
 on the development site such that the minimum tree canopy or tree cover 
 percentage 20 years after development is projected to be as follows:

1. Ten percent tree canopy for a site zoned business, commercial, 
 or industrial;

2. Ten percent tree canopy for a residential site zoned 20 or 
 more units per acre;

3. Fifteen percent tree canopy for a residential site zoned 
 more than eight but less than 20 units per acre;

4. Twenty percent tree canopy for a residential site zoned 
 more than four but not more than eight units per acre;

5. Twenty-five percent tree canopy for a residential site 
 zoned more than two but not more than four units per acre; and

6. Thirty percent tree canopy for a residential site zoned two 
 or fewer units per acre.

However, the Town of Vienna 
 may require at 10 years the minimum tree canopies or covers set out in this subsection.

In meeting these percentages, (i) the ordinance shall first 
 emphasize the preservation of existing tree canopy where that canopy meets 
 local standards for health and structural condition, and where it is feasible 
 to do so within the framework of design standards and densities allowed by the 
 local zoning and other