Trees; conservation and replacement during development process in certain localities, report.

The document header was updated to reflect Senate sponsorship by the Senate Committee on Local Government instead of the House Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns, and the bill number changed from 26106579D to 26109044D.

All specific tree canopy percentage requirements, zoning thresholds, and planting deadlines were removed from the text.

Detailed definitions for 'tree canopy,' 'tree cover,' and specific exemptions for schools and cemeteries were removed.

A new requirement was added for the Institute to convene a work group and submit a report with recommendations by November 1, 2026.

The specific eligibility criteria for localities to adopt tree ordinances (such as population density or Chesapeake Bay watershed status) were removed as the bill no longer establishes those rules.

The bill now focuses on reviewing existing laws (§§ 15.2-961, 15.2-961.1, and 15.2-961.3) rather than amending them directly.

Tree canopy percentages for residential sites were adjusted based on density; for example, the requirement for sites with 20+ units per acre was simplified to 10%, and the maximum requirement for low-density sites (2 or fewer units) was reduced from 35% to 30%.

A new specific requirement was added to mandate a minimum 10% tree canopy on cemetery sites, regardless of other provisions in the bill.

New provisions were added to allow for 'tree canopy credits' (bonus points) for preserving existing forest communities, planting native species, and using trees that reduce air pollution or greenhouse gases.

The definition of 'tree canopy' was updated to explicitly include coverage at both 10 and 20 years of maturity, providing flexibility for local ordinances to choose the timeline that best fits their planning goals.

Specific exemptions were added for bona fide silvicultural activities, lakes, ponds, and the normal water elevation areas of stormwater retention facilities.

Eligibility criteria for tree replacement ordinances were clarified to apply to any locality with a population density of at least 75 persons per square mile or any locality within the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

New authority was granted to localities to designate specific tree species that are prohibited from planting due to risks of structural failure, damage to infrastructure, or negative impacts on native plant communities.

Formatting and text cleanup were performed throughout the document to resolve inconsistencies, such as removing duplicate subsection labels and correcting garbled text regarding unit density thresholds.