HB1346:

Trees; replacement and conservation during development process, powers of local government.

Bill Summary:

Powers of local government; trees during development
process; replacement and conservation. Expands to all localities
provisions that currently allow only certain localities to adopt an
ordinance providing for the planting and replacement of trees during
the development process and adds more flexibility for implementation
and management of tree canopy banks, tree canopy credits, and tree
canopy requirements. The bill changes and updates standards, reference
documents, and published reference texts, expands options for localities
to disburse funds to charitable organizations, and adds percentage
specifications for ordinances related to cemeteries. In addition,
the bill removes the prohibition of invalidating local ordinances
adopted before July 1, 1990, the allowance of 10-year minimum requirements
for pre-1990 ordinances, and the inability to invalidate an ordinance
adopted that relates to the replacement of trees during the development
process in certain localities. The bill allows ordinances that have
been made pursuant to the law prior to the effective date of the
changes in this bill to not be invalidated by the changes. The bill
requires the Virginia State Forester to create standards for tree
canopy percentages and to select members for the Stakeholder Advisory
Group, established by the bill to provide recommendations on such
standards. Some provisions of the bill become effective on July 1,
2022, and some have a delayed effective date of January 1, 2023.