Bill Text: VA HJR569 | 2021 | Regular Session | Prefiled
Bill Title: Trees; Dept. of Forestry to study & evaluate enabling statutes for ordinances related to planting.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-02-05 - Left in Rules [HJR569 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2021-HJR569-Prefiled.html
WHEREAS, the Code of Virginia contains several statutes related to the preservation, planting, and replacement of trees during the development process; and
WHEREAS, such enabling statutes have been subject to frequent debate and amendment; and
WHEREAS, the current law has resulted in a patchwork of standards related to preservation, planting, and replacement of trees during the land development process that apply differently in different areas of the Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, there may be benefit in convening an advisory group of stakeholders to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the current enabling statutes in order to resolve ongoing disagreements; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the Department of Forestry be requested to convene a stakeholder advisory group for the purposes of studying and evaluating Virginia's current enabling statutes for local ordinances related to the preservation, planting, and replacement of trees during the land development process. The stakeholders group at a minimum shall include representatives of the Virginia Municipal League, the Virginia Association of Counties, and the Home Builders Association of Virginia.
The Department of Forestry shall submit to the Division of Legislative Automated Systems an executive summary and report of its progress in meeting the directive of this resolution no later than the first day of the 2022 Regular Session of the General Assembly. The executive summary and report shall be submitted as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents and reports and shall be posted on the General Assembly's website.
