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B26-0059 • 2025

Tree Preservation Enhancement Amendment Act of 2025

Tree Preservation Enhancement Amendment Act of 2025

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Mendelson
Last action
2026-05-21
Official status
Official Law
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Tree Preservation Enhancement Amendment Act of 2025

This act modifies the Urban Forest Preservation Act to adjust fines and fees for inflation, change definitions related to special trees, and expand how funds can be used.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the definition of a 'Special Tree' from having a diameter between 44 inches to 40 inches.
  • Requires the Mayor to increase fines and fees associated with removing Special Trees or Heritage Trees every three years based on inflation using the Consumer Price Index.
  • Allows the Tree Fund to be used for planting trees in private land, conducting survival checks of planted trees, and covering administrative costs.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Mayor
  • District residents who own hazardous trees
  • Businesses or individuals removing Special Trees or Heritage Trees

Terms To Know

Special Tree
A tree with a diameter of at least 40 inches.
Heritage Tree
A tree that is historically or culturally significant and may be subject to special protections.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The act does not specify the exact amount by which fines and fees will increase.
  • It is unclear how much funding will be available in the Tree Fund for planting trees on private land.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-21 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Law Number L26-0113 Effective from May 21, 2026

  2. 2026-04-09 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Transmitted to Congress

  3. 2026-03-27 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Act A26-0283 Published in DC Register Vol 73 and Page 005086

  4. 2026-03-24 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Enacted without Mayor's Signature with Act Number A26-0283

  5. 2026-03-24 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Returned from Mayor

  6. 2026-03-09 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Transmitted to Mayor, Response Due on Mar 24, 2026

  7. 2026-03-03 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Legislative Meeting

  8. 2026-02-03 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Legislative Meeting

  9. 2026-01-14 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Committee Report Filed by the Transportation and the Environment Committee

  10. 2025-12-18 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Committee Mark-up of B26-0059 by the Transportation and the Environment Committee

  11. 2025-12-15 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Notice of Mark-up filed in the Office of Secretary

  12. 2025-01-24 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Notice of Intent to Act on B26-0059 Published in the District of Columbia Register

  13. 2025-01-21 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Referred to Committee on Transportation and the Environment

  14. 2025-01-13 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    B26-0059 Introduced by Chairman Mendelson at Office of the Secretary

Official Summary Text

Tree Preservation Enhancement Amendment Act of 2025

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
AN ACT
D.C. ACT 26-283
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
MARCH 24,2026
‘ToamendtheUrbanForestPreservationActof2002tomodifythedefinitionofaSpecialTree,
torequirethattheMayorincreasethefinesandfeesassociatedwiththeremovalof
SpecialTreesorHeritageTreesforinflation,andtomodifythepermissibleusesofthe
TreeFund.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, Thatthis
actmay be citedasthe“TreePreservationEnhancement Amendment Act of2026”.
Sec.2.TheUrbanForestPreservationActof2002,effectiveJune12,2003(D.C.Law
14-309;D.C. OfficialCode § 8-651.01 efseg.),isamended as follows:
(a)Section102(5)(D.C.OfficialCode§8-651.02(5))isamendedbystrikingthephrase
“between44inches”andinsertingthephrase“between40inches”initsplace.
(b)Section104(c)(D.C.OfficialCode§8-651.04(e))isamendedtoreadasfollows:
“(@)(1)TheMayorshall,beginningJuly1,2029,andevery3yearsthereafter,increase
thefeedescribedinsubsection(b)(3)ofthissectionandthefinedescribedinsubsection(4)of
thissectionbyregulationtoadjustforinflationusingtheConsumerPriceIndex.
2)Inadditiontotheincreasesunderparagraph(1)ofthissubsection,theMayor
mayincreasethefeedescribedinsubsection(b)(3)ofthissectionorthefinedescribedin
subsection(d)ofthissectionbyregulation.”.(©)Section104a(d)(D.C.OfficialCode§8-651.04a(d))isamendedtoreadasfollows:
“(@)(1)TheMayorshall,beginningJuly1,2029,andevery3yearsthereafter,increase
thefinedescribedinsubsection(c)ofthissectionbyregulationtoadjustforinflationusingthe
Consumer PriceIndex.
(2)Inadditiontotheincreaseunderparagraph(1)ofthissubsection,theMayormayincreasethefeedescribedinsubsection(c)ofthissectionbyregulation.”.(d)Section107(D.C.OfficialCode§8-651.07)isamendedtoreadasfollows:“Sec, 107.Tree Fund.
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
(a)ThereisestablishedasaspecialfundtheTreeFund(“Fund”),whichshallbe
administeredbytheDistrictDepartmentofTransportationinaccordancewithsubsection(¢)of
thissection.(b)AllfundscollectedfromthefollowingsourcesshallbedepositedintotheFund:
“(1)Donations;and
(2)Feesandpenaltiescollectedpursuanttothisactoranyruleestablished
pursuanttothisact.
“(c)MoneyintheFund:“(1)Shallbeusedforthefollowingpurposes:
“(A)TreeplantinginpublicspaceorDistrict-ownedland,includingparks
andschoolproperty;and“(B)Providingincome-basedsubsidiestoassistDistrictresidentswith
costsrelatedtotheremovalandreplacementofhazardoustrees;and
“(2)Maybeusedforthefollowingpurposes:
“(A)Treeplantingonprivateland,incoordinationwiththeDepartmentof
EnergyandEnvironment;“(B)Conductingsurvivalchecksoftreesplantedonpublicorprivateland
pursuanttoparagraph(1)(A)ofthissubsectionandsubparagraph(A)ofthisparagraph;and
“(C)Foranyothercostsassociatedwithimplementingthisact,including
administrativecosts.
“(d)TheMayorshallensurethattreesplantedpursuanttothissectionarecheckedfor
survivalatappropriateintervalstoevaluatecanopyreplacementandinformfutureplanting
decisions.
“(e)PrivatevoluntarydonationstotheFundshallbetaxdeductibleforpurposesof
Districtincomeandfranchisetaxes.
“()\(1)ThemoneydepositedintotheFundbutnotexpendedinafiscalyearshallnot
reverttotheunassignedfundbalanceoftheGeneralFundoftheDistrictofColumbiaattheend
ofafiscalyear,oratanyothertime.
(2)Subjecttoauthorizationinanapprovedbudgetandfinancialplan,anyfunds
appropriatedintheFundshallbecontinuallyavailablewithoutregardtofiscalyearlimitation.”
Sec.3.Fiscalimpactstatement.
‘TheCounciladoptsthefiscalimpactstatementinthecommitteereportasthefiscal
impactstatementrequiredbysection4aoftheGeneralLegislativeProceduresActof1975,
approvedOctober16,2006(120Stat.2038;D.C.OfficialCode§1-301.47a).
Sec.4.Effectivedate.‘ThisactshalltakeeffectfollowingapprovalbytheMayor(orintheeventofvetobythe
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
Mayor,actionbytheCounciltooverridetheveto)anda30-dayperiodofcongressionalreview
asprovidedinsection602(c)(1)oftheDistrictofColumbiaHomeRuleAct,approvedDecember
24,1973(87Stat.788;D.C.OfficialCode§ 1-206.02(¢)(1)).

‘Chairman
Councilofthe DistrictofColumbia
UNSIGNED
Mayor
Risksboomed
COUNCILOFTHEDISTRICTOF COLUMBIA
WASHINGTON,DC,20004

DocketNo.826-0059,
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FirstReading,CC
February3,2026
Approved

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