Fairfax County Code Chapter 124 allows designation of heritage, specimen, memorial, and street trees with the property owner's consent, granting enhanced protection during development review.
Sections 124-1-3 and 124-2-1 authorize the Urban Forester to designate Heritage Trees of historic or cultural significance, Specimen Trees of exceptional size or quality, Memorial Trees commemorating events, and Street Trees within public rights-of-way. Designation requires written consent of the property owner and runs with the land. Designated trees receive a 1.5x credit toward canopy requirements and trigger heightened plan review during rezoning, special exceptions, or grading. Removal requires a finding of dead, diseased, or hazardous condition certified by a Certified Arborist plus replacement at minimum 3:1 with comparable species.
Civil penalties up to $5,000 per tree, replacement at 3:1 or higher, and proffer-condition revocation for development sites that destroy designated trees without authorization.
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See how Fairfax County's heritage & protected trees rules stack up against other locations.
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