Newport News, VA Environmental Rules: Erosion Control (2026)

City Code § 37.1-35.2 sets the field standards for any land-disturbing activity under the city's VESMP permit program. Land disturbance is confined to the area shown on the approved plan, with a single temporary access point capped at 25 feet wide for site clearance. Trees four inches or more in diameter outside the disturbed area must be preserved, protected by fencing erected five feet outside the dripline of the tree canopy throughout construction. If work doesn't start within 180 days of plan approval, or halts for more than 180 days, the city can require the plan to be re-evaluated before work resumes.