Washington, DC Tree Protection: Urban Forest Equity (2026)
Key Facts
- Council size
- 12 members
- Equity-qualified seats
- 3 of 4 community members
- Minimum meetings
- 3 per year
- Co-chairs
- DDOT and DOEE Directors
- Reports on
- 5-year urban forest master plan
Summary
D.C. Code § 8-651.09 creates a 12-member Urban Forestry Advisory Council charged with coordinating the District's tree canopy goals across agencies. The Mayor must fill three of its community seats with people knowledgeable in environmental justice and equity, and the Council reviews the 5-year urban forest master plan the Mayor must prepare and annually update.
(9) Three community representatives appointed by the Mayor knowledgeable in the fields of urban forestry, public policy, environmental protection, public administration, or environmental justice and equity; ... (f) The purpose of the UFAC shall be to: (1) Ensure coordination between the District agencies responsible for achieving the District's tree canopy goals and partners engaged in programs and activities geared toward achieving those goals. (2) Advise District agencies responsible for achieving the District's tree canopy goals regarding policies, programs, and partnerships for the purpose of maintaining, protecting, and increasing the District's tree canopy; and (3) Provide input on the 5-year urban forest report and master plan required by § 8-651.03(c).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 6B of Title 8 builds an equity-accountable structure around the District's canopy goals rather than setting a single numeric target. C. 09(a)-(b) establishes the 12-member Urban Forestry Advisory Council (UFAC), co-chaired by the Directors of the District Department of Transportation and the Department of Energy and Environment, and seats the Directors of Parks and Recreation and General Services, the WASA General Manager, and representatives of the National Park Service, the General Services Administration, and the District's electric utility alongside four Mayor- or Council-appointed community members.
Subsection (b)(9) requires three of those community seats to go to people knowledgeable in urban forestry, public policy, environmental protection, public administration, 'or environmental justice and equity,' the only place in the chapter that names equity as a qualifying credential. 03(c). The Council must meet at least three times a year under the open-meetings rules in Title 2, Chapter 5, subchapter IV, and the co-chairing agencies must fund a public website listing members, meeting notices, and minutes under subsection (g).
Violations & Fines
This is a governance duty, not a citable offense: no fine attaches to residents. The co-chairing DDOT and DOEE directors must fund the Council's operating budget and public website under subsection (g), and the Council must hold at least three meetings a year under subsection (e); missing either is an institutional compliance failure subject to Council of the District of Columbia oversight, not a fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does DC's tree canopy law require a racial or economic equity analysis?
What does the Urban Forestry Advisory Council actually do?
Who sits on the Council besides community members?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Washington
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