1. What is the Tree Canopy Fund?

In 2007, the Arlington County Board instituted the Tree Canopy Fund program. This program provides a mechanism for developers to provide financial contributions to a trust fund administered by the County in cases where the required number of trees cannot be planted on site. These contributions are maintained by the County in a Trust and Agency Fund and administered through EcoAction Arlington, per a Memorandum of Understanding submitted and reviewed on a yearly basis.  

2. How is the Tree Canopy Fund funded?

The Tree Canopy Fund provides a mechanism for developer contributions in cases where the required number of trees cannot be planted on commercial site plans. The minimum recommended contribution rate is equal to $2,400 per tree that cannot be planted on site as required by the approved site plan. This contribution rate was set in 2007 and has not increased since that date.

3.  How are funds from the Tree Canopy Fund used?

The funds are used to plant trees on private property. Eligible properties include single-family homes, townhouses, condos, apartments, and places of worship. EcoAction Arlington currently contracts with Davey Trees to plant trees and invoices the County for expenses and a 20% administrative fee after each tree planting cycle. This administrative fee supports a portion of EcoAction Arlington expenses and overhead for this program. Additional expenses and overhead are covered by EcoAction Arlington’s fundraising efforts. 

We currently plant trees two times a year, once in the fall and once in the spring. We have planted a total of 4,289 trees since we started this program, and the current average cost per tree planted with administrative costs included is $620.

In 2021, the Arlington County Board authorized $50,000 to do a pilot program to provide maintenance services for mature trees on private property. Through this program, maintenance services were provide through a contract for 20 trees. A total of 31 maintenance services were completed. The maintenance services were completed between November of 2022 and June of 2023. 

4.   What is the status of the Tree Canopy Fund?

As of April 2024, the Tree Canopy Fund does not have sufficient funds for another planting cycle. In the fiscal year 2025 budget, the County Board provided one-time funding of $240,000 to cover planting of trees for fiscal year 2025.

5.  What is the Tree Canopy Equity Program?

In 2022, EcoAction Arlington launched the Tree Canopy Equity Program through which we are focusing tree planting efforts to benefit our Arlington neighbors of color and those experiencing poverty. Based on tree canopy and heat island data combined with demographic data, we have identified 13 target neighborhoods: Arlington Mill, Arlington View, Aurora Highlands,  Barcroft, Buckingham, Columbia Heights, Glebewood, Buckingham, Glencarlyn, Green Valley, John M Langston, Long Branch Creek, Penrose, and Radnor/Ft. Myer Heights. This initiative involves two sets of activities: tree planting on private property by our contractor through the Tree Canopy Fund in alignment with the ongoing tree planting program started in 2009 and additional opportunities through other funding sources EcoAction Arlington has secured including providing shrubs as an option for private properties in the 13 target neighborhoods and providing watering services for trees planted through our program to places of worship and multifamily properties.