{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/10.1-1103.1.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/10.1-1103.1.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/10.1-1103.1.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/10.1-1103.1.html"}],"law_id":81783,"edition_id":1,"section_id":81783,"structure_id":16423,"section_number":"10.1-1103.1","catch_line":"Forestland and Urban Tree Canopy Conservation Plan","history":"2024, cc. 278, 354.","full_text":"A\n\nThe Department shall establish a Forestland and Urban Tree Canopy Conservation Plan (the Plan) to conserve the Commonwealth’s forestland and incentivize the protection of forests and other similar sensitive natural areas as an integral part of state forestry planning and the local comprehensive planning process. The Plan shall be reviewed by the Board of Forestry. In developing the Plan, the Department shall include elements determined by the State Forester, including the following:1\n\nExamine the current status and trends of forests and tree canopies in the Commonwealth;2\n\nIdentify challenges to forest health, forestland, and tree canopy conservation efforts, including land use, climate change, and invasive species and other challenges identified by the stakeholder group;3\n\nIdentify priority forests for conservation emphasizing protection of streams or wetlands, areas with steep slopes or highly erodible soils, wildlife corridors, and large contiguous blocks of forest;4\n\nDevelop forest-related and tree canopy-related goals;5\n\nIdentify current and potential funding streams and state and local entities that will be vital to achieve forest and tree canopy conservation goals; and6\n\nEnsure consistency with the objectives of the Board of Forestry with respect to forest management, including forest protection, management, and replacement.B\n\nThe Plan, reviewed by the Board of Forestry, shall be developed in coordination with a Technical Advisory Committee that shall include representatives from the Department of Environmental Quality, Department of Wildlife Resources, Department of Conservation and Recreation, agricultural and forestry industries, environmental and conservation organizations, local governments, the Virginia Cooperative Extension, professional environmental technical experts, residential and commercial development industries, and other stakeholders as the Department deems appropriate.C\n\nThe Department shall update the Plan at least once every five years and shall reconvene the Technical Advisory Committee and seek input prior to approval of any updates to the Plan. The Department shall hold a 30-day public comment period on the Plan and any subsequent updates to the Plan. Following any such update, the Plan shall be made available on its website and submitted to the Governor and the Chairmen of the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":293007,"text":"The Department shall establish a Forestland and Urban Tree Canopy Conservation Plan (the Plan) to conserve the Commonwealth’s forestland and incentivize the protection of forests and other similar sensitive natural areas as an integral part of state forestry planning and the local comprehensive planning process. The Plan shall be reviewed by the Board of Forestry. In developing the Plan, the Department shall include elements determined by the State Forester, including the following:","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"A1"},"1":{"id":293008,"text":"Examine the current status and trends of forests and tree canopies in the Commonwealth;","type":"section","prefixes":["A","1"],"prefix":"1","entire_prefix":"A1","prefix_anchor":"A1","level":2,"prior_prefix":"A","next_prefix":"A2"},"2":{"id":293009,"text":"Identify challenges to forest health, forestland, and tree canopy conservation efforts, including land use, climate change, and invasive species and other challenges identified by the stakeholder group;","type":"section","prefixes":["A","2"],"prefix":"2","entire_prefix":"A2","prefix_anchor":"A2","level":2,"prior_prefix":"A1","next_prefix":"A3"},"3":{"id":293010,"text":"Identify priority forests for conservation emphasizing protection of streams or wetlands, areas with steep slopes or highly erodible soils, wildlife corridors, and large contiguous blocks of forest;","type":"section","prefixes":["A","3"],"prefix":"3","entire_prefix":"A3","prefix_anchor":"A3","level":2,"prior_prefix":"A2","next_prefix":"A4"},"4":{"id":293011,"text":"Develop forest-related and tree canopy-related goals;","type":"section","prefixes":["A","4"],"prefix":"4","entire_prefix":"A4","prefix_anchor":"A4","level":2,"prior_prefix":"A3","next_prefix":"A5"},"5":{"id":293012,"text":"Identify current and potential funding streams and state and local entities that will be vital to achieve forest and tree canopy conservation goals; and","type":"section","prefixes":["A","5"],"prefix":"5","entire_prefix":"A5","prefix_anchor":"A5","level":2,"prior_prefix":"A4","next_prefix":"A6"},"6":{"id":293013,"text":"Ensure consistency with the objectives of the Board of Forestry with respect to forest management, including forest protection, management, and replacement.","type":"section","prefixes":["A","6"],"prefix":"6","entire_prefix":"A6","prefix_anchor":"A6","level":2,"prior_prefix":"A5","next_prefix":"B"},"7":{"id":293014,"text":"The Plan, reviewed by the Board of Forestry, shall be developed in coordination with a Technical Advisory Committee that shall include representatives from the Department of Environmental Quality, Department of Wildlife Resources, Department of Conservation and Recreation, agricultural and forestry industries, environmental and conservation organizations, local governments, the Virginia Cooperative Extension, professional environmental technical experts, residential and commercial development industries, and other stakeholders as the Department deems appropriate.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A6","next_prefix":"C"},"8":{"id":293015,"text":"The Department shall update the Plan at least once every five years and shall reconvene the Technical Advisory Committee and seek input prior to approval of any updates to the Plan. The Department shall hold a 30-day public comment period on the Plan and any subsequent updates to the Plan. Following any such update, the Plan shall be made available on its website and submitted to the Governor and the Chairmen of the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources.","type":"section","prefixes":["C"],"prefix":"C","entire_prefix":"C","prefix_anchor":"C","level":1,"prior_prefix":"B"}},"ancestry":[{"id":16423,"edition_id":1,"name":"Department of Forestry","identifier":"1","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12782,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 04:17:24","date_modified":"2026-06-26 04:17:24","permalink":{"id":144837,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":16423,"identifier":"1","token":"10.1\/II\/11\/1","url":"\/10.1\/II\/11\/1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12782,"edition_id":1,"name":"Forest Resources and the Department of Forestry","identifier":"11","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12741,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:53","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:53","permalink":{"id":144835,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12782,"identifier":"11","token":"10.1\/II\/11","url":"\/10.1\/II\/11\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12741,"edition_id":1,"name":"Activities Administered by Other Entities","identifier":"II","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12740,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","permalink":{"id":144833,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12741,"identifier":"II","token":"10.1\/II","url":"\/10.1\/II\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12740,"edition_id":1,"name":"Conservation","identifier":"10.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","permalink":{"id":143313,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12740,"identifier":"10.1","token":"10.1","url":"\/10.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":74017,"structure_id":16423,"section_number":"10.1-1100","catch_line":"Department of Forestry; appointment of the State Forester","url":"\/10.1-1100\/","token":"10.1\/II\/11\/1\/10.1-1100","metadata":false},{"id":78212,"structure_id":16423,"section_number":"10.1-1100.1","catch_line":"Certified mail; subsequent mail or notices may be sent by regular mail","url":"\/10.1-1100.1\/","token":"10.1\/II\/11\/1\/10.1-1100.1","metadata":false},{"id":68272,"structure_id":16423,"section_number":"10.1-1101","catch_line":"General powers of Department","url":"\/10.1-1101\/","token":"10.1\/II\/11\/1\/10.1-1101","metadata":false},{"id":69696,"structure_id":16423,"section_number":"10.1-1102","catch_line":"Board of Forestry","url":"\/10.1-1102\/","token":"10.1\/II\/11\/1\/10.1-1102","metadata":false},{"id":83303,"structure_id":16423,"section_number":"10.1-1103","catch_line":"Powers of the Board","url":"\/10.1-1103\/","token":"10.1\/II\/11\/1\/10.1-1103","metadata":false},{"id":81783,"structure_id":16423,"section_number":"10.1-1103.1","catch_line":"Forestland and Urban Tree Canopy Conservation Plan","url":"\/10.1-1103.1\/","token":"10.1\/II\/11\/1\/10.1-1103.1","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":83303,"structure_id":16423,"section_number":"10.1-1103","catch_line":"Powers of the Board","url":"\/10.1-1103\/","token":"10.1\/II\/11\/1\/10.1-1103","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/10.1-1103.1\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 2024. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapters 278<\/a> and 354<\/a> of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":144859,"object_type":"law","relational_id":81783,"identifier":"10.1-1103.1","token":"10.1\/II\/11\/1\/10.1-1103.1","url":"\/10.1-1103.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/10.1-1103.1\/","token":"10.1\/II\/11\/1\/10.1-1103.1","dublin_core":{"Title":"Forestland and Urban Tree Canopy Conservation Plan","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 10.1-1103.1","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> The Department shall establish a Forestland and Urban Tree Canopy Conservation Plan (the Plan) to conserve the Commonwealth’s forestland and incentivize the protection of forests and other similar sensitive natural areas as an integral part of state forestry planning and the local comprehensive planning process. The Plan shall be reviewed by the Board of Forestry. In developing the Plan, the Department shall include elements determined by the State Forester, including the following: <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

1.<\/span> Examine the current status and trends of forests and tree canopies in the Commonwealth; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

2.<\/span> Identify challenges to forest health, forestland, and tree canopy conservation efforts, including land use, climate change, and invasive species and other challenges identified by the stakeholder group; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

3.<\/span> Identify priority forests for conservation emphasizing protection of streams or wetlands, areas with steep slopes or highly erodible soils, wildlife corridors, and large contiguous blocks of forest; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

4.<\/span> Develop forest-related and tree canopy-related goals; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

5.<\/span> Identify current and potential funding streams and state and local entities that will be vital to achieve forest and tree canopy conservation goals; and <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

6.<\/span> Ensure consistency with the objectives of the Board of Forestry with respect to forest management, including forest protection, management, and replacement. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> The Plan, reviewed by the Board of Forestry, shall be developed in coordination with a Technical Advisory Committee that shall include representatives from the Department of Environmental Quality, Department of Wildlife Resources, Department of Conservation and Recreation, agricultural and forestry industries, environmental and conservation organizations, local governments, the Virginia Cooperative Extension, professional environmental technical experts, residential and commercial development industries, and other stakeholders as the Department deems appropriate. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

C.<\/span> The Department shall update the Plan at least once every five years and shall reconvene the Technical Advisory Committee and seek input prior to approval of any updates to the Plan. The Department shall hold a 30-day public comment period on the Plan and any subsequent updates to the Plan. Following any such update, the Plan shall be made available on its website and submitted to the Governor and the Chairmen of the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nFORESTLAND AND URBAN TREE CANOPY CONSERVATION PLAN (\u00a7 10.1-1103.1)\n\nA. The Department shall establish a Forestland and Urban Tree Canopy\nConservation Plan (the Plan) to conserve the Commonwealth’s forestland and\nincentivize the protection of forests and other similar sensitive natural areas\nas an integral part of state forestry planning and the local comprehensive\nplanning process. The Plan shall be reviewed by the Board of Forestry. In\ndeveloping the Plan, the Department shall include elements determined by the\nState Forester, including the following:\n\n 1. Examine the current status and trends of forests and tree canopies in the\n Commonwealth;\n\n 2. Identify challenges to forest health, forestland, and tree canopy\n conservation efforts, including land use, climate change, and invasive species\n and other challenges identified by the stakeholder group;\n\n 3. Identify priority forests for conservation emphasizing protection of\n streams or wetlands, areas with steep slopes or highly erodible soils,\n wildlife corridors, and large contiguous blocks of forest;\n\n 4. Develop forest-related and tree canopy-related goals;\n\n 5. Identify current and potential funding streams and state and local entities\n that will be vital to achieve forest and tree canopy conservation goals; and\n\n 6. Ensure consistency with the objectives of the Board of Forestry with\n respect to forest management, including forest protection, management, and\n replacement.\n\nB. The Plan, reviewed by the Board of Forestry, shall be developed in\ncoordination with a Technical Advisory Committee that shall include\nrepresentatives from the Department of Environmental Quality, Department of\nWildlife Resources, Department of Conservation and Recreation, agricultural and\nforestry industries, environmental and conservation organizations, local\ngovernments, the Virginia Cooperative Extension, professional environmental\ntechnical experts, residential and commercial development industries, and other\nstakeholders as the Department deems appropriate.\n\nC. The Department shall update the Plan at least once every five years and shall\nreconvene the Technical Advisory Committee and seek input prior to approval of\nany updates to the Plan. The Department shall hold a 30-day public comment\nperiod on the Plan and any subsequent updates to the Plan. Following any such\nupdate, the Plan shall be made available on its website and submitted to the\nGovernor and the Chairmen of the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and\nNatural Resources and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and\nNatural Resources.\n\nHISTORY: 2024, cc. 278, 354.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}