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B26-0320 • 2025

Long Bridge Project Temporary Amendment Act of 2025

Long Bridge Project Temporary Amendment Act of 2025

Enacted

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

Sponsor
Allen
Last action
2025-10-01
Official status
Official Law
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The act does not specify that relocation would be too costly or burdensome; only that costs exceed $1 million or cause undue burden to the public.

Long Bridge Project Temporary Amendment Act of 2025

This act amends the Urban Forest Preservation Act to allow for the removal of Heritage Trees near or within the Long Bridge Project site under specific conditions.

What This Bill Does

  • Amends section 104a of the Urban Forest Preservation Act of 2002 to add a new paragraph (3).
  • Requires the Mayor to issue a permit for removing a Heritage Tree if there is no reasonable design alternative and relocation would be too costly or burdensome.
  • Specifies that applicants must pay $1,200 per inch of the tree's circumference as compensation.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Mayor
  • Applicants seeking to remove Heritage Trees near the Long Bridge Project site

Terms To Know

Heritage Tree
A significant tree with historical, cultural, or ecological value.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This act is temporary and will expire on May 14, 2026.
  • It only applies to Heritage Trees within the Long Bridge Project site managed by the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority.

Bill History

  1. 2025-10-01 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Law Number L26-0049 Effective from Oct 01, 2025, Expires on May 14, 2026

  2. 2025-08-19 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Transmitted to Congress

  3. 2025-08-15 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Act A26-0135 Published in DC Register Vol 72 and Page 008939

  4. 2025-08-12 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Returned from Mayor

  5. 2025-08-11 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Signed by the Mayor and Enacted with Act Number A26-0135

  6. 2025-07-31 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Transmitted to Mayor, Response Due on Aug 14, 2025

  7. 2025-07-28 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Legislative Meeting

  8. 2025-07-18 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Notice of Intent to Act on B26-0320 Published in the District of Columbia Register

  9. 2025-07-14 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Retained by the Council

  10. 2025-07-14 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Legislative Meeting

  11. 2025-07-11 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    B26-0320 Introduced by Councilmember Allen at Office of the Secretary

Official Summary Text

Long Bridge Project Temporary Amendment Act of 2025

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
AN ACT,
D.C. ACT 26-135
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
AUGUST 11, 2025
Toamend,onatemporarybasis,section104aoftheUrbanForestPreservationActof2002torequirethattheMayorissueapermitfortheremovalofaHeritageTreeabuttingorwithinthesiteoftheLongBridgeProjectundercertainconditions.
BEITENACTEDBYTHECOUNCILOFTHEDISTRICTOFCOLUMBIA,Thatthisactmaybecitedasthe“LongBridgeProjectTemporaryAmendmentActof2025”.
Sec.2.Section104a(b)oftheUrbanForestPreservationActof2002,effectiveJuly1,2016(D.C.Law21-133;D.C,OfficialCode§8-651.04a(b)),isamendedbyaddinganewparagraph(3)toreadasfollows:“(3)TheMayorshallissueaHeritageTreeremovalpermitunderthissectionforaHeritageTreethatabutsoriswithinthesiteoftheLongBridgeProjectmanagedbytheVirginia
PassengerRailAuthorityif:“(A)Thereisnoreasonabledesignalternativethatcanavoidthelocation
oftheHeritageTree;“(B)TheUrbanForestryDivisionhasdeterminedthatthetreecannot
reasonablybeprotectedinplace;“(C)Theapplicanthasdemonstratedthat:“(i)Thecostofrelocationexceeds$1million;or(ii)Relocationwouldcauseanundueburdentothepublic;and“(D)Theapplicanthasagreedtopay$1,200pereachinchofthe
circumferenceoftheHeritageTreeinquestion.”.
Sec.3.Fiscalimpactstatement.
‘TheCounciladoptsthefiscalimpactstatementoftheBudgetDirectorasthefiscalimpactstatementrequiredbysection4aoftheGeneralLegislativeProceduresActof1975,approvedOctober16,2006(120Stat.2038;D.C.OfficialCode§1-301.47a).

ENROLLED ORIGINAL
Sec.4.Effectivedate.(a)ThisactshalltakeeffectafterapprovalbytheMayor(orintheeventofvetobytheMayor,actionbytheCounciltooverridetheveto)anda30-dayperiodofcongressionalreviewasprovidedinsection602(c)(1)oftheDistrictofColumbiaHomeRuleAct,approvedDecember24,1973(87stat.813;D.C.OfficialCode§ 1-206.02(c)(1)).(b)Thisactshallexpireafter225daysofitshavingtakeneffect.
p Yieco—~airman
Council of the Districtof Columbia

MayorDistrictAPPRO\
AUGUST11, 2025

COUNCILOF THEDISTRICTOF COLUMBIA
WASHINGTON,DC,20004

[]ITEMON CONSENT CALENDAR
[xTACTION FirstReading
[xivoTeDate uly14,2025
[x1VoIcevoTE ‘Approved
RECORDEDVOTEONREQUEST
ABSENT
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X.-IndicateVote AB Absent NV -Present,NotVoting Rec -Recused
CERTIFICATIONRECORD BS oreCoane ate
DocketNo.826-0320
[LX]ITEMON CONSENT CALENDAR
[xTACTION FinalReading,CC
{X]VOTE DATE July28,2025
{X]VOICE VOTE ‘Approved
RECORDEDVOTEONREQUEST
ABSENT
[]ROLLCALL VOTE —Result
[CouncMember[Aye[NayNV[AB[Rec[CouncMember[Aye[Nay|Nv[AB[Rec]CounciiMember[Aye[Nay|NV[AB[Ree
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Bonds x MeDufhe x
Felder x Nedeau x
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X-IndcateVote [AB~Absent NV-Present,NotVoting Ree-Recused
CERTIFICATIONRECORD
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