THE LEAFLET

As we step into 2025, it’s clear that we’re in the midst of a significant year for advocacy at Casey Trees and across DC. Our work is a continuous journey, and we’re excited to share our current advocacy initiatives and recent achievements with the environmental community!

Recently, DC Council Chairman Mendelson re-introduced the Tree Preservation Enhancement Amendment Act of 2025. The act supports the reduction of the Special Tree threshold from 44” trunk circumference to 25”. The bill’s impact will lead to the protection of more trees within the District, an ongoing challenge as young trees continue to be removed throughout the city. Casey Trees supports this part of the bill, and an additional provision asking for fees to be reassessed every 5 years to account for inflation.

This month, our Chief Operating Officer, Andrew Schichtel, had the opportunity to testify at the DC Council’s Committee on Transportation and Environment in support of our partners at DDOT’s Urban Forestry Division. Andrew emphasized the importance of protecting our younger trees so that they can grow to become our city’s future canopy and asked the Committee to support passage of the Tree Preservation Enhancement Amendment Act in the coming year.

Through Andrew’s testimony, we also asked for DDOT to partner with Casey Trees on a pilot Community-Based Street Tree Maintenance Program, stating, “Our desire to test this program is not a negative reflection on DDOT, but rather a simple acknowledgment that it is impossible to adequately care for the more than 65,000 newly planted street trees, the benefits of which extend beyond simple tree health. Trees are about people, and when you engage residents in tree planting and care, you build community goodwill – which is priceless.” We at Casey Trees believe that these recommendations are both necessary and critical for DC to reach its 40% tree canopy goal by 2032.

The re-introduction of bills continues with the Office of Natural Area Conservation Establishment Act, which is expected to be re-introduced this year. The act seeks to create an office within the Department of Energy and Environment that directly manages the city’s natural areas. The new office would also support community-level groups that care for our city’s forest patches. Casey Trees continues to monitor and support this bill as we hope it will bring focus and resources to protecting DC’s often overlooked green spaces.

Another bill to keep your eyes on is the recently introduced Recycling Refund and Litter Reduction Amendment Act, or as many call it, the DC Bottle Bill. Co-sponsored by 11 Council members, this exciting new bill has broad support. Currently, plastic bottles are the #1 source of litter in our beautiful forests, waterways, and parks. Casey Trees proudly supports the bottle bill, which aims to boost recycling rates to an impressive 85%. In contrast, without it, a troubling 75% of bottles are discarded. If you want to join us in supporting the DC Bottle Bill, please look out for the upcoming public hearing schedule.

Lastly, we have a student-led success to share! The Eastern Red-backed Salamander is officially the state amphibian of DC. Started by students at Powell Elementary School, efforts to recognize the amphibian started as casual exploration and quickly evolved into a deeper fascination, not just with the salamanders themselves but with the vital role they play in our ecosystem. This is not only great news for the tiny but mighty amphibians but also for our forests! As one parent of the students involved in recognizing the Eastern Red-backed Salamander stated, “This isn’t just a fun and educational project for kids, which it is, but it’s also about promoting the importance of urban forests and their role in our ecosystem. By focusing on the salamander, we’re putting the spotlight on the forests themselves.”

At Casey Trees, we’re committed to supporting environmental advocacy efforts across the District. But we can’t do it alone. There’s always more work to be done to spread the word about the vital role of trees in our cities. If you’re passionate about advocating for trees in DC, your involvement is crucial. Visit our website to learn more and join us in our mission.