Comments Document

Delegate Vivian Watts, Please find the written testimony in support of HB 128. The wrote document will include the following references: 1. The article in “Annandale Today” dated on October 19, 2023 2. Email sent to Paul Davis, Chair of Fairfax democratic committee on October 8, 2023 3. Marie Ann Leyko, testimony at the Fairfax Count General Assembly Delegations’ Pre-legislative Session 2024 on January 8, 2024 4. Memorandum from the county of Fairfax, Chief of Police, dated on September 15, 2008. County Code 31-1-2 As always, I appreciate your support and assistance. Best, Jernay Wallace

I am in support of HB 147. Arlington County Fire Department request to seek reimbursement for expenses related to the appropriate emergency responses to false of malicious incidents of "swatting." Response to these false incidents removes ambulances, paramedics, fire, and rescue resources from responding to simultaneous critical incidents like cardiac arrests or structure fires. Cost recovery can help mitigate the operational impact and deter these incidents. Costs for a single malicious incident can reach into the thousands of dollars. Taxpayers in a locality should not be responsible for the costs associated with the appropriate emergency response to swats. Thank you.

Dear Members of the Committee, As one of your constituents, I wanted to convey my support for the many tree related bills in front of the committee. These specific Bills will allow localities to more effectively conserve existing trees and maintain newly planted trees. Conserving and increasing Virginia’s tree canopy is critical not only because trees are beautiful, but because they also provide the following crucial benefits: - Reduce flooding - Stormwater runoff reduction - Less heat islands, which leads to reduced energy costs and healthier citizens - Improve air quality and reduce air pollution - Sequester carbon All of these benefits create a win – win – win by helping the environment, improving human health, and providing cost effective positive economic impacts. I hope that you all recognize the critical benefits that trees provide across the state of Virginia and that you will support these bills. Sincerely, Winston Bibee

Comments Document

I am Denise Mosca, a constituent of Keith Hodges in Gloucester County, living at 6977 Ark Road. Please allow HB 529 and HB1100 to pass out of committee to be considered by the House. Because Virginia is a Dillon Rule state, localities need to be granted the flexibility to manage trees specific to their local planning and individual stormwater response. In a 2020 study Virginia Dept. of Forestry VADOF estimated that Virginia is currently losing 14,000 acres annually to land conversion. From 2014 to 2018 Gloucester County has experienced a net loss of 217 acres of tree cover. The 2020 VADOF study delineated the following benefits of trees (see attachment): Trees are a low cost option to provide resilience. Keeping healthy, mature trees on site costs far less than taxpayer-funded programs to construct “hard” storm water infrastructure. HB 529 and HB1100 are local option bills; they provide the freedom to the locality to enact the provisions or not. There is a site specific clause for deviation in HB 529 to address hardship of the developer provided that neighborhood stormwater management and tree preservation goals are considered. Fairfax County has adopted this ordinance package as of 2009 and it has neither slowed nor hindered development or stifled affordable housing initiatives. Virginia has already delegated authority to the localities to implement stormwater plans that make the most sense for their circumstances. Please allow localities the low cost options to maintain and increase tree cover for their stormwater planning and all the benefits that trees provide for Virginia.

Please support HB644.

Please support HB170! This proposal would extend local authority throughout Virginia to preserve tree canopy, improve local water quality, reduce flooding and mitigate the impact of climate change. Land development and tree removal continue to progress in Virginia at an alarming rate. This bill would help Virginia to meet its tree canopy goals.

HB170 Trees; conservation during land development process - This bill should become law. Virginia is far behind in meeting its urban tree canopy goals under the Chesapeake Bay Agreement. Tree canopy loss must be reversed.

Support HB170. Virginia continues to lose tree canopy at an astounding rate, which limits the state’s ability to improve water quality, reduce flooding and mitigate the impact of climate change on the most vulnerable communities. Climate-ready communities that are resilient to flash floods, urban heat islands and increased air pollution need trees

Please support bills HB 170 and HB 459. Virginia continues to lose tree canopy amazingly fast, which hurts our ability to improve water quality, decrease flooding and mitigate heat and air quality effects of climate change. Virginia has signed onto The Bay Agreement and is far behind in meeting its urban tree canopy goals. HB 170 includes canopy credits for saving high-value mature trees and tree stands to incentivize preservation and has a minimum post-construction canopy coverage percentage and would cover the whole state rather than just northern Virginia. HB 459 would further strengthen the current "conservation during land development process".

Richmond needs the ability and authority to conserve its trees during the development process as we work to restore and protect our tree canopy in our most vulnerable communities, Please support this bill!

I am president of Richmond Tree Stewards, a volunteer organization dedicated to the support of our urban canopy. We endorse this legislation for all of the health, ecological, economic and social benefits outlined by other supporters. Localities already have certain tools at their disposal that allow them to establish or preserve the character of a given neighborhood or development via architectural, historic preservation, and zoning requirements. These ordinances regulate such factors as building height, setback, materials, rooflines, porches and facades, sidewalks, lighting, parking, etc. because they effect the community or neighborhood as a whole. Trees, whether on private or public property, have a fundamental and positive impact on the character of a community. For this reason, localities should have the authority to consider tree canopy and preservation when evaluating proposed development. Here in Richmond, many of the largest, oldest, and healthiest trees on our city blocks are located on private property, both commercial and residential. I have noted privately-owned trees that shade or partially shade as many as 19 surrounding homes. Few street trees--planted in our small city tree wells, subjected to pollution, road salt, compacted soil, excrement, utility lines, vehicle damage, and other indignities--will ever reach these proportions. The loss of one such tree can create a void that will last decades. H.B. 170 is a logical and necessary tool for localities to seek a balance between their natural and built environment. We ask your support.

Comments Document

TO: Members, Virginia House Counties Cities and Towns - Subcommittee #2 FROM: Virginia League of Conservation Voters DATE: January 18, 2024 RE: Virginia LCV Legislative Positions – HB 170, HB 459 On January 18, the House Commerce and Energy Committee will consider the following legislation: HB170 and HB459. We encourage you to SUPPORT HB170 and HB459 HB170 (Keys-Gamarra) Trees; conservation during land development process. This legislation would: Allow all localities in Virginia to adopt tree conservation and preservation ordinances–currently, only cities in Planning District 8 are allowed to do so. Reasons to SUPPORT HB170: Virginia localities must have the authority to conserve existing canopy where possible and replant where it’s not feasible to keep the trees on site in order to prepare our communities for the impacts of climate change Climate-ready communities that are resilient to flash floods, urban heat islands and increased air pollution need trees in their toolbox as a cost-effective strategy to deploy. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ HB459 (Sullivan) Trees; conservation during land development process in certain localities. This legislation would: Strengthen tree conservation by adding incentives to preserve stands of healthy mature trees and expand how certain localities can use their tree fund. Increase the canopy credits a developer receives if they preserve high-value mature trees or stands of trees. Developers who provide a stand assessment prior to submitting a site plan and who take the necessary precautions to protect those trees during construction would receive additional canopy credit Allow a locality to plant on both public AND private property and use funds to help maintain newly planted trees. Reasons to SUPPORT HB170: Virginia continues to lose tree canopy–limiting the Commonwealth’s ability to improve water quality, reduce flooding and mitigate the impact of climate change. Virginia is far behind in meeting its urban tree canopy goals under the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement. If you have any questions about our position, please contact Michael Town, Executive Director of Virginia LCV, at mtown@valcv.org, or Chris Leyen, Policy Director, at cleyen@valcv.org, or 925-354-1433 (mobile).

Please Support! The preservation of trees here has to do with where the trees are in relation to the buildable area of a parcel based on zoning requirements, so it's appropriate that it be regulated by the Zoning Ordinance. If passed this legislation will provide an additional tool for resiliency and enhanced stormwater management. Enforcement for violations should be through stormwater or some other environmental regulation instead of the Zoning Ordinance. The City of Portsmouth strongly supports this bill.

Fairfax Tree Stewards (FTS) is a Virginia non-profit corporation that preserves, plants, and maintains trees in Fairfax County and vicinity, educates the public on the value and benefits of trees, and encourages them to take an active role in caring for trees. We speak for the trees because the trees cannot speak for themselves. It is critical to do more to preserve and increase Virginia’s tree canopy. Virginia has signed on to the Bay Agreement, but it is far behind in meeting its urban tree canopy goals. It is altogether unacceptable that Virginia continues to lose tree canopy at an astounding rate, which limits the state’s ability to improve water quality, reduce flooding and mitigate the impact of climate change on the most vulnerable communities. A healthy urban tree canopy reduces flooding, cools our cities, encourages people to walk, reduces air pollution, and alleviates stress and asthma. FTS urges the Subcommittee to report out HB170. The bill will help to preserve and increase Virginia’s tree canopy by allowing localities throughout the commonwealth to adopt an ordinance providing for the conservation of trees during the land development process. Currently, only localities in Planning District 8 (Northern Virginia) that meet specific requirements can do so. The bill will establish minimum post-construction canopy coverage percentages, which could be achieved by preserving existing trees or by planting new ones. It also allows localities to establish a tree canopy fund that developers pay into if it is not feasible to achieve the target canopy percentages on site. It also establishes a framework of canopy credits for high-value mature trees or stands of trees to incentivize preservation.

Please support HB459 and SB121. Preserving tree canopy is especially vital during this time of climate chaos. Trees protect us from heat, provide protections from flooding, air pollution, and provide habitat for more than songbirds. It is important that developing communities have access to funding and flexibility to preserve old trees. (Studies have shown lower violence rates in treed communities; they give us a sense of peace and belonging.) Trees limit asthma impacts by cleaning air. We all need increased incentives to preserve trees. (Sadly, researchers report we are 50 years behind in our hardwood tree growing in Virginia, due to invasives, lack of periodic fires, and deer browse). Thus, preserving them & planting becomes even more important. Thank you.

Please support both HB170 and HB459 which both promote tree conservation during development. Preserving existing trees is critical for improving air water quality, mitigating flooding, reducing urban heat, and promoting citizen mental health and safety. Virginia is rapidly losing trees to development and is failing to meet goals relating to the Bay Agreement. These bills would benefit Virginians in numerous ways and would help us meet goals we have set.

I SUPPORT HB208, 281, 634, and 644. Gas-powered leaf blowers are an environmental scourge and I'm thankful that a bill has been written to allow localities to restrict them. I wish the Commonwealth of Virginia could just ban them outright. I wholeheartedly support repurposing office buildings to serve as childcare centers.

As a city council member in Newport News, I see firsthand the need for workers to find affordable childcare providers, especially near their place of employment. Today, childcare is more than a daycare, it’s a space for our young people to learn and be prepared to enter into kindergarten. To hire quality childcare workers able to teach our young people their wages will be higher than a traditional daycare worker increasing the cost of childcare providers. This bill will remove an expense to help lower the cost for parents. Additionally, we need to incentivize childcare providers to start a new business or expand an existing business if we want to expand the labor workforce. The civilian labor force rate in Newport News is 61%, 2 percent lower than the Virginia labor workforce rate. Increasing childcare capacity can help cities like Newport News expand their workforce.

Comments Document

In VA Peninsula city centers and across the state there is insufficient capacity for working parents to access child care. This is especially true for babies and toddler where there is only 1 slot for every 6 little children in our area. In this day and age, not having child care affects parents ability to work and forces them to make compromises for the care and education of their young children. Hours and location are among the top challenges for families trying to access child care, so having them where they work or in housing developments would increase the supply. This bill would be a good way to facilitate public-private partnerships between businesses and child care provider businesses to support increased access to early care and education. Removing zoning permit barriers would pave the way to quickly meet the need for more accessible child care for working families with children birth to age 5.

The City of Portsmouth supports this bill, and asks that this body do the same. We are in support of adding this requirement from a fire and life safety perspective. This will ultimately drive up the initial first costs, but in the name of safety, could prevent the potential loss of life, and likely result in cheaper insurance costs for the building's life expectancy. The additional costs will be added to the consumer.

HB405 Please leave the decision on Solar Farms to the locality it’s proposed to be placed. The loss of agriculture and trees is a danger to the environment and fiscal health of the location and therefore the residents should have the final say. Studies of long term land pollution should be made available to all citizens in a manner that reaches a large portion of the state

The City of Portsmouth has reviewed and supports this bill, although it's only an optional inclusion, However, we do not think it should not still include a density requirement.

I do not agree with removing the salary caps elected officials should not be allowed to increase their own salarys without limits. Any salary increases should be voted on by the voters in a referendum.

I am corresponding on behalf of the 17 member cities of the Virginia First Cities Coalition (VFC) in support of HB 456. VFC historically, and this year is no different, supported legislation that would allow our city council's to set their salaries at a rate that is responsive to their unique demands and that is acceptable to the citizens that elect them. One of our member cities, the City of Richmond, back in 2015 had a Compensation Review Advisory Committee to conduct an independent review of the compensation structure for Richmond City Council members. I refer back to this thorough analysis because much of the research is still relevant for 2024. Research done back in 2015 with the Virginia Division of Legislative Services revealed that 25% of Virginia cities set their own salaries with no other limits. Approximately 15% of cities have specific salaries dictated within their charters. Two Virginia cities have their salaries determined by an independent commission or board, and like Richmond, approximately 40% of cites refer to the General Laws of the Commonwealth, setting maximum limits for compensation. I don't think it has changed much or at all since 2015. I'd also like to add that the bracketed salary ranges have not been changed since 1998. Back in 2015, accounting for inflation utilizing the Consumer Price Index – Urban (CPI), would have resulted in the state set maximum in 2015 dollars being $36,865. I can only imagine what it would be in 2024. In summary, our city councils are closest to the citizens and are elected, reelected or not reelected by its citizens. They are hard-working, sacrifice a great deal to serve their communities. It's often hard on their families. Oftentimes it's hard to have a full-time job, as well as serve as a city council member. For all these reasons, we urge you to please pass HB 456.

HB456 is an important opportunity to give local governments the autonomy to decide what's best for their own communities. As everyone here knows, the work of local government is difficult and often thankless -- but critical for building strong local communities and expanding economic development throughout the Commonwealth. The specific work of local government -- along with the local cost of living -- is different for every single locality in Virginia. By supporting HB456, you have the opportunity to make it clear that local communities know what's best for their own people. One-size-fits-all state mandates aren't necessary. The ability of localities to set the salaries of elected public servants is important because it determines who can serve their own communities -- and who can't. Take Charlottesville: our annual City Council salary of $18,000 was last set in 1998. Adjusted for inflation, that $18,000 would be $33,120 today. At the same time, Charlottesville has one of the higher costs of living in the state, with a median home sales price of over $500,000. Why does it matter? Every year, I talk with community members -- teachers, non-profit leaders, nurses, volunteers -- who want to serve on City Council but decide they can't run because the salary is too low. They're often single parents or working people who show up every day to serve their families and our local community. They want to be public servants. But the heavy work load and variable hours of City Council means they can't run for office at the current salary level while still taking care of their families. The result is that few people run for local office, and those who do run don't reflect our entire community. They disproportionately come from wealth or are either retired or self-employed. Ordinary working people -- the people who keep Virginia running -- should have the ability to serve their local communities. With HB456, you have a clear opportunity to remove a draconian state mandate, empower local communities, and allow working people to become public servants. Our Commonwealth will be better for it.

Please Support HB 459 I encourage full support for HB 459. I live in Arlington, VA and have been here for 35 years. When I first moved in, out neighborhood had an extensive tree canopy. I could not see my neighbors' back yard. I had two large southern red oaks in my backyard, and my neighbor had a huge Black Oak, half of which hung over my fence and provided shade. I had to grow shade plants in my backyard. My neighbor also had a mature poplar. All four of these trees are gone. The 3 oaks succumbed to General Oak Decline. The 4th to storm damage. Our neighborhood has change a lot since then 1987: I now have a sunny backyard, I have replaced one oak that died 5 years ago, and will replace the oak removed last fall this spring. My neighbors have not replaced the trees they have lost. Our summer night low tempuratures have slowly increased to 80 to 84 degrees from the low to mid 70's when I first moved here, in part from loss of tree canopy. National airport noise had gotten an order of magnitude louder because we have lost so many trees. Arlington County land costs are so high, developers will grade a steep lot flat at relatively little additional cost before building a new house. This involves cutting most trees on a lot down. Houses in Arlington have grown in size significantly in the last ten years, increasing impervious surface area, exacerbating problems in our storm water system which was not designed for so much run off. Trees contribute to slowing storm water flows. Fewer trees mean scouring of our small and large creek and stream valleys. Arlington County Right of Ways provide for very narrow sidewalks and often no planting strip between the sidewalk and curb. This limits the space for tree planting in public ROWs. Being such a dense community that is close to DC and includes the vast expanse of heat absorbing National Airport, the heat island impact in Arlington is significant. Localities should be able to use tree planting to ameliorate what will inevitably be hotter communities. We are a walkable community, so we will need shade in the summer. The American Dream used to include a house with a picket fence with a backyard for the kids to play. We are losing our backyards and trees because of the land costs here, and apparently large houses and smaller yards with no trees are more popular now than in the past. So we need more mechanisms to increase or tree canopy. I urge you to support HB 459. Many Thanks.

Please support HB459. This is a great step towards protecting Arlington’s irreplaceable natural treasures for generations to come. It will also protect and preserve our infrastructure at minimal expense in the face of the rising costs of climate change. Flooding in our neighbors in DC and Alexandria costs tens of millions (for floodgates, damages to homes and businesses— and even more $ for lawsuits). not to mention disruption to peoples’ and businesses’ lives and the damage to the environment. HB459 will help ensure more trees, which will protect us, our property values and the environment for now and generations to come. It will help retain current residents and businesses —and continue to make it an attractive destination for new residents and businesses.

Please support HB 459, to allow localities to preserve more than a miniscule 20% of tree canopy when lots are built up. May I quote an unkown source "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The next best time is now."

Please support HB459, which: ● Increases the canopy credits a developer receives if they preserve high-value mature trees or stands of trees. ● Expands how the tree fund can be used. Currently the fund is limited to non-profits for planting on municipal property; however, some municipalities have limited available planting space. Changes to the conservation language would allow a locality to plant on both public AND private property as well as use the funds to help maintain newly planted trees. ● Virginia has signed on to the Bay Agreement and is far behind in meeting its urban tree canopy goals. By passing statewide legislation, localities are better prepared to achieve this important goal to help improve water quality in our local rivers and streams as well as the Chesapeake Bay.

Please support HB459. It is important that our tree canopy keep up with increased population density and the detrimental effects that density has on the health of Arlingtonians, including air quality and urban heat pockets. Thank you!

Comments Document

<p>I urge you to support HB 459. Tree canopy serves as an analog for pervious surfaces that hold rainfall in place, reducing runoff and flash flooding—a growing problem in many communities across Virginia.</p> <p>Here in Arlington County, as we have seen heat-trapping, water-shedding impervious surfaces grow, we have witnessed an accelerated loss of tree canopy: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/6421b46fd51a423c71bed2a6/t/64a3254edb2bfa07a6c4e7d8/1688413520376/6-23+Arlington+Tree+Canopy+Final_lower_resolution.pdf</p> <p>The result: Flash flooding now occurs regularly—blocking roads; inundating basements, homes and businesses; and inflicting millions of dollars in damages: https://twitter.com/Paulojmendes1/status/1148276323036684288</p> <p>Given that Arlington and Alexandria are the most densely population communities in Virginia, with urbanization continuing to increase at a rapid pace, local conditions vary significantly from communities elsewhere across the state.</p> <p>Rather than being restricted to state-wide mandates of 10% coverage, local communities need additional flexibility to tailor rules that address local conditions. A blanket rule across all of Virginia can no longer meet local needs.</p> <p>This bill allows counties and cities across the state the ability to better control and maintain their tree canopy—enabling localities to adjust canopy figures to address the health and safety needs facing their communities.</p> <p>Please support HB 459. Thank you.</p>

Please support HB459. We need to ensure that tree are preserved for future generations to enjoy the planet. Once trees are removed for development, there is no way to replace them.

Please support HB459. Common sense dictates and science shows that more trees add beauty (improved mental health!), create more animal habitats, and help in the fight against climate change.

Please support HB459 to protect our existing mature tree canopy and to reestablish and expand it, in Arlington County and elsewhere in our beautiful state of Virginia!

Please support HB459. Arlington needs more trees!

Please pass HB459 which begins to address one of the biggest challenges of our time: preserving tree canopy and its role as a natural bulwark against climate change. Arlington alone has lost a significant percentage of canopy in just the last half-dozen years. Similar trends across the Commonwealth jeopardize the environment and all the benefits it offers each and every resident--from mental and physical health, cleaner air, reduced flooding, to combating global warming--and other benefits! Please pass this key bill for the sake of this generation and those to come.

HB 459 Trees; conservation during land development - This bill should become law. Virginia is far behind in meeting its urban tree canopy goals under the Chesapeake Bay Agreement. Tree canopy loss must be reversed.

Please support bills HB 170 and HB 459. Virginia continues to lose tree canopy amazingly fast, which hurts our ability to improve water quality, decrease flooding and mitigate heat and air quality effects of climate change. Virginia has signed onto The Bay Agreement and is far behind in meeting its urban tree canopy goals. HB 170 includes canopy credits for saving high-value mature trees and tree stands to incentivize preservation and has a minimum post-construction canopy coverage percentage and would cover the whole state rather than just northern Virginia. HB 459 would further strengthen the current "conservation during land development process".

We support HB 459 because it encourages developers and builders to take all necessary precautions to preserve existing healthy trees on site and do this work before a site plan is submitted for approval. This is critical because these mature trees are often an afterthought in the permitting and building process. In recent years, we've seen major growth in the City of Richmond with much-needed housing and business growth, yet, green space isn't protected. As an environmental justice organization, we advocate for impacted communities, especially in formerly redlined neighborhoods, experiencing higher temperatures, greater flooding, and chronic illnesses associated with environmental conditions. As communities grow and we increase density, we need trees to cool neighborhoods due to those urban heat islands and improve overall health outcomes. Additionally, this bill expands the flexibility for a tree fund so new trees are planted AND that funding will maintain those trees -- on public and private property -- to ensure long-term growth and survival.

Comments Document

TO: Members, Virginia House Counties Cities and Towns - Subcommittee #2 FROM: Virginia League of Conservation Voters DATE: January 18, 2024 RE: Virginia LCV Legislative Positions – HB 170, HB 459 On January 18, the House Commerce and Energy Committee will consider the following legislation: HB170 and HB459. We encourage you to SUPPORT HB170 and HB459 HB170 (Keys-Gamarra) Trees; conservation during land development process. This legislation would: Allow all localities in Virginia to adopt tree conservation and preservation ordinances–currently, only cities in Planning District 8 are allowed to do so. Reasons to SUPPORT HB170: Virginia localities must have the authority to conserve existing canopy where possible and replant where it’s not feasible to keep the trees on site in order to prepare our communities for the impacts of climate change Climate-ready communities that are resilient to flash floods, urban heat islands and increased air pollution need trees in their toolbox as a cost-effective strategy to deploy. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ HB459 (Sullivan) Trees; conservation during land development process in certain localities. This legislation would: Strengthen tree conservation by adding incentives to preserve stands of healthy mature trees and expand how certain localities can use their tree fund. Increase the canopy credits a developer receives if they preserve high-value mature trees or stands of trees. Developers who provide a stand assessment prior to submitting a site plan and who take the necessary precautions to protect those trees during construction would receive additional canopy credit Allow a locality to plant on both public AND private property and use funds to help maintain newly planted trees. Reasons to SUPPORT HB170: Virginia continues to lose tree canopy–limiting the Commonwealth’s ability to improve water quality, reduce flooding and mitigate the impact of climate change. Virginia is far behind in meeting its urban tree canopy goals under the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement. If you have any questions about our position, please contact Michael Town, Executive Director of Virginia LCV, at mtown@valcv.org, or Chris Leyen, Policy Director, at cleyen@valcv.org, or 925-354-1433 (mobile).

Fairfax Tree Stewards (FTS) is a Virginia non-profit corporation that preserves, plants, and maintains trees in Fairfax County and vicinity, educates the public on the value and benefits of trees, and encourages them to take an active role in caring for trees. We speak for the trees because the trees cannot speak for themselves. FTS urges the Subcommittee to report out HB459. The bill will strengthen tree canopy funds by providing that the funds may be used for maintenance of trees on public property and planting and maintenance of trees on private property. It also eliminates the provision for unused tree canopy funds to be returned after five years. It is critical to do more to preserve and increase Virginia’s tree canopy. Virginia has signed on to the Bay Agreement, but it is far behind in meeting its urban tree canopy goals. It is altogether unacceptable that Virginia continues to lose tree canopy at an astounding rate, which limits the state’s ability to improve water quality, reduce flooding and mitigate the impact of climate change on the most vulnerable communities. A healthy urban tree canopy reduces flooding, cools our cities, encourages people to walk, reduces stress and asthma. HB459 is a small step toward improving our tree canopy, but it is an important one, and FTS urges the subcommittee to report it out.

Please support both HB170 and HB459 which both promote tree conservation during development. Preserving existing trees is critical for improving air water quality, mitigating flooding, reducing urban heat, and promoting citizen mental health and safety. Virginia is rapidly losing trees to development and is failing to meet goals relating to the Bay Agreement. These bills would benefit Virginians in numerous ways and would help us meet goals we have set.