Fairfax County Code Chapter 124, the Tree Conservation Ordinance, requires tree preservation plans during land development and protects designated trees within rights-of-way and conservation areas.
Chapter 124 implements Va. Code 10.1-1230 authority for Northern Virginia jurisdictions. Land Development Services reviews tree conservation plans for any project requiring a site, subdivision, or grading plan, with mandatory canopy targets ranging from 10 percent in commercial zones to 30 percent in low-density residential. Removal of trees within recorded conservation easements, public rights-of-way, or county parkland requires Urban Forest Management Division approval and may require replacement at up to 3:1. Single-family homeowners removing trees on their own lot generally do not need a permit unless the tree is in an easement.
Civil penalties up to $5,000 per tree, replacement at 3:1, restoration costs, and stop-work orders for development sites that violate the conservation plan.
Fairfax County, VA
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Fairfax County, VA
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Fairfax County, VA
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Fairfax County, VA
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Fairfax County, VA
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Fairfax County, VA
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See how Fairfax County's tree removal permits rules stack up against other locations.
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