THE LEAFLET

You’ve probably noticed that our city is growing fast; population is rising and development is booming. But did you know that DC plans ahead for its growth?

The District’s Comprehensive Plan is an important planning document that guides development across the city, twenty years into the future. It was most recently amended in 2011, and officials are seeking to update it again to reflect the rapid population growth the District is experiencing.

Now is your chance to weigh in and ask the city to prioritize DC’s trees for the next twenty years.

You can attend one of the DC Comprehensive Plan meetings or fill out a short survey to tell District planners that trees and green spaces are indispensable to DC’s character and appeal.  Ask them to:

• Plant more trees on District-owned parks and schools to reach the District’s 40% canopy goal
• Protect existing trees wherever possible
• Learn and apply new tree protections for Special and Heritage trees to new development projects

This process will address new challenges and include policies to promote resilience to natural and human-made disasters, such as flooding and extreme weather.  Tell the mayor that promoting smart growth policies that plan for trees will result in larger tree canopy throughout the District and foster a more inviting and healthy city (eom@dc.gov).