The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing on Aug. 25 to consider eliminating the Fairfax’s Tree Commission and consolidating some of its responsibilities with those of the Environmental Quality Advisory Council (EQAC).
The resulting body would be known as the Environmental Commission, under a procedural road map laid out by staff at the Board of Supervisors meeting yesterday (Tuesday).
County staff say the consolidated body and other government efforts will provide sufficient protections for trees, allowing for dissolution of the 53-year-old Tree Commission.
Merging the two advisory bodies is expected to save about $20,000 in meeting-planning costs and trim 600 staff hours.
“Fairfax County remains dedicated to its environmental priorities that have been expanded and enhanced over time,” staff said in a memo to supervisors. “Fairfax will continue to adhere to the Tree City [USA] requirements and strive to maintain our designation in future years even with this restructuring.”
In its report to supervisors, staff suggested some of the remaining responsibilities of the commission could be moved into the Urban and Forestry Division of the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services (DPWES).
Other agencies with tangential responsibilities include the Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination and the Forest Conservation Branch of the Department of Land Development Services.
At the July 14 meeting, Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn asked for more specifics on the proposal, including what roles currently handled by the Tree Commission would be incorporated into the new Environmental Commission’s responsibilities.
Staff replied that work is still underway on proposed bylaws spelling out the new commission’s responsibilities. Feedback from current members of the Tree Commission and EQAC would be taken into account in developing the new commission’s charter.
Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay was satisfied the matter will be fully fleshed out in time for the August hearing.
“We’ve got a ways to go,” he said of the amount of time remaining.
McKay said he’s “looking forward to the evolution” as the Environmental Commission took shape.
The Tree Commission was founded in 1973, the same year the Board of Supervisors established the position of county arborist. The advisory body has the statutory authority to:
“Advise the Board of Supervisors on actions it might take to protect, improve and expand the urban forest across Fairfax County,” and
“Review and comment at its discretion on selected actions being considered by the Planning Commission, the Board of Zoning Appeals, the Fairfax County Schools and Board, the Fairfax County Park Authority and Board, and any other county or related agencies that may impact the urban forest.”
Under its current configuration, the Tree Commission has 15 members:
- Representatives for each of the nine magisterial district and an at-large seat appointed by the chairman’s office
- One representative each representing EQAC, the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District, Fairfax County Park Authority, Virginia Department of Extension and Continuing Education and Virginia Department of Forestry
The proposed consolidation is part of an ongoing review of county boards, authorities and commissions (BACs). County supervisors in early 2024 voted unanimously to undertake the review, to ensure the bodies are still relevant and fulfilling their purposes.
The Tree Commission’s July meeting was canceled. Its next scheduled meeting is Sept. 3, although it is possible the commission will no longer exist at that point.
