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The City of Alexandria, VA, has a tree ordinance and regulations in place to protect the city’s trees. G&V has the top tree service experts in Alexandria, VA.
The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) recommends that communities have a tree program to manage their urban forest.
There are more than 20,000 street trees in Alexandria, Virginia, with an additional 25,000 trees on private property. The City of Alexandria is proud to host the largest urban forest in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
A community forest is a forest within an urban setting that consists of at least one tree per five people.
According to Alexandria’s official website, “Trees are valued for their many benefits—stormwater management, property value increases, improved air quality and enhanced mental health—while also providing important habitat for birds and other wildlife.”
Urban forestry is the management of urban forests and trees. According to the ISA, “Urban forestry is the application of sound arboricultural practices to the care and management of public and private trees in populated areas.”
Alexandria, Virginia, has a dedicated Urban Forestry staff that is assigned to inspect the thousands of trees around the public areas of the city and determine whether any actions are needed.
According to the tree protection ordinance, tree owners are required to keep tree trunks six inches above ground level or maintain a six-inch stump. Trees within 20 feet of roads must be trimmed so that their lowest branches are at least 11 feet above street level. This is known as the “clear cut rule.”
In addition, all trees in the public right of way must be maintained by their property owner. This means that the City of Alexandria, VA, does not provide regular pruning of public trees. The city’s Urban Forestry division provides other services such as inspections and invasive species removal at the request of the public.
The removal of trees is allowed when they are dead, diseased, hazardous, or in the way of construction. If a tree is not dead, diseased, hazardous, or in the way of construction, it is illegal to remove it.
According to the tree protection ordinance, “It shall be unlawful for any person to cut down, limb up or remove any tree without first having obtained a written permit from the Urban Forester. The permittee shall obtain such permits at least ten days prior to commencing such work.”
The penalties for violating the tree ordinance depend on the severity of the violation. Fines can range from $100 to $1,000 per day. In addition, the violator may be subject to criminal prosecution.
If you see a tree or limb that could be a hazard to yourself or others in a public setting, call 911 immediately. The city will provide the staff that is necessary to take action.
If you are a property owner in Alexandria, VA, and need assistance with tree care, contact G&V. Our professional arborists are experts in the field of urban forestry and can help you with tree removal or any other services.
For more information about G&V or to schedule an appointment, please call us at (703) 337-3080 or learn more about tree removal services today on our website.
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