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D.C. Municipal Regulations (Last Updated: September 13, 2017) |
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Title 10. PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT |
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SubTilte 10-A. COMPREHENSIVE PLAN |
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Chapter 10-A6. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION |
Section 10-A603. E-1.1 CONSERVING AND EXPANDING OUR URBAN FOREST
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603.1The benefits of a healthy urban forest, including street trees, trees in parks and other public places, and trees on private lands, are well documented. Trees add beauty, improve mental health, reduce water pollution, absorb noise, produce oxygen and absorb greenhouse gases, and provide habitat for birds and small animals. They also add economic value to neighborhoods and contribute to community identity and pride. 603.1
603.2A 2004 study by the Casey Trees Endowment Fund found that trees currently cover about 29 percent of the District’s land area. However, a 1999 study by American Forests determined that the percentage of “heavy tree cover” areas in the city decreased by 64 percent between 1973 and 1997. Moreover, there are significant geographic disparities in tree cover, ranging from 46 percent of the land area in Upper Northwest to just 8 percent in the Mid-City area. Public awareness of these alarming statistics has sparked tree planting and “re-greening” activities across the city. 603.2
603.3Tree cover in the District as of 2005 is shown in Map 6.1. 603.3
603.4Policy E-1.1.1: Street Tree Planting and Maintenance
Plant and maintain street trees in all parts of the city, particularly in areas where existing tree cover has been reduced over the last 30 years. Recognize the importance of trees in providing shade, reducing energy costs, improving air and water quality, providing urban habitat, absorbing noise, and creating economic and aesthetic value in the District’s neighborhoods. 603.4
603.5Policy E-1.1.2: Tree Requirements in New Development
Use planning, zoning, and building regulations to ensure that trees are retained and planted when new development occurs, and that dying trees are removed and replaced. If tree planting and landscaping are required as a condition of permit approval, also require provisions for ongoing maintenance. 603.5
603.6Policy E-1.1.3: Landscaping
Encourage the use of landscaping to beautify the city, enhance streets and public spaces, reduce stormwater runoff, and create a stronger sense of character and identity.
603.7Policy E-1.1.4: Engaging the Community
Promote partnerships between the District, community groups, and nonprofit advocacy groups to undertake tree surveys and planting campaigns, volunteer training and education, and resident stewardship of Washington’s urban forest. 603.7
603.8Action E-1.1.A: Tree Replacement Program
Continue working toward a goal of planting 4,000 street trees and 2,000 trees on public open space each year. Components of this program should include the removal of dead and dying trees and their replacement with suitable species, and the pruning and maintenance of trees to eliminate hazards and increase their rate of survival. 603.8
603.9Action E-1.1.B: Street Tree Standards
Formalize the planting, pruning, removal, and construction guidelines in use by the city’s Urban Forestry Administration by developing official city street tree standards (see text box on the city’s Tree Bill). These standards should provide further direction for tree selection based on such factors as traffic volumes, street width, shade and sunlight conditions, soil conditions, disease and drought resistance, and the space available for tree wells. They should also include provisions to increase the size of tree boxes to improve tree health and longevity, and standards for soils and planting. 603.9
603.10Action E-1.1.C: Tree Inventories
Continue partnership agreements with the federal government, the Casey Trees Endowment Fund and other groups to develop a live database and management system for the District’s trees using Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping. Efforts should be made to inventory trees on parkland as well as along city streets. 603.10
603.11Action E-1.1.D: Operating Procedures for Utility and Roadwork
Develop standard operating procedures to minimize tree damage by public utility and road crews. All activities that involve invasive work around street trees should be reviewed by Urban Forestry Administration personnel. 603.11
603.12Action E-1.1.E: Urban Forest Management Plan
Consistent with the District’s Tree Bill, develop an Urban Forest Management Plan to protect, maintain, and restore trees and native woodlands across the city. The Plan should include a detailed inventory of trees and woodlands and should provide a means of coordinating urban forest management activities on all public lands managed by the city (e.g., street trees, city parks, public school grounds, etc.). It should also promote coordination with federal agencies and other large landowners, and include comprehensive strategies to manage insects and diseases. 603.12
603.13 Action E-1.1-D: Operating Procedures for Utility and Roadwork
Develop standard operating procedures to minimize tree damage by public utility and road crews. All activities that involve invasive work around street trees should be reviewed by Urban Forestry Administration personnel. Goals have been developed by the USDA and the Casey Trees Endowment Fund and tested in other cities as a way of evaluating the existing tree canopy and setting specific goals for its restoration. Promote the expansion of the urban tree canopy.
603.14The DC Tree Bill
The Urban Forest Preservation Act of 2001, better known as the Tree Bill, established a tree preservation program, strengthened the community notice requirements for tree removal on public land, and revised the penalties for injuring trees on public space and private property. The Tree Bill was approved in December 2002 and requires an annual program for tree planting and care, preparation of a tree master plan, and the development of maintenance standards for trees on public space. The Bill includes specific provisions to protect healthy trees with a circumference of 55 inches or more. Homeowners who wish to remove such trees must replace them in kind, or pay into a tree fund used to plant new trees. Financial assistance provisions are included for low income households. The Bill also requires that ANC s are given at least 15 days written notice before a tree is removed from public space, unless the tree is deemed hazardous.
603.15Map 6.1: Existing Tree Cover in the District of Columbia and Surrounding Region
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