ATAG Review of the Draft Forestry & Natural Resources Plan

At the November 17th meeting of the Forestry and Natural Resources Commission, ATAG provided public comments on the problems with the current draft. Revisions that are currently underway that must address these concerns. To see the meeting agenda, go to the FNRC Meetings Page. The presentation on Tree Protection will be posted soon at this site.

In an October 1, 2022 letter to Katie Cristol, Chair of the Arlington County Board, ATAG outlined these serious concerns on the draft plan made public on August 1, 2022, including:

• The need for clear goals, metric, and time frames for the recommendations;

• The need for clear declarative statements - “must” not “consider”

• Strong recommendations for changes to zoning that encourages tree preservation and planting;

• Aggressively lobby for legislative changes at the state level necessary to support the trees as a priority;

• Improving valuation methods for trees to recognize all the public service provided and priority in County actions; and

• Providing expanded funding for natural resources, trees, and County staff appropriate to the importance of green infrastructure to the community.

  One presentation by an ATAG member asked for a pause in the process to ensure adequate transparency and public input to address concerns.

  Other comments were also submitted separately by the Forestry and Natural Resources Commission, Ecoaction Arlington, and the Arlington County Civic Federation. The County has released a summary of its Online Public Engagement results.