Virginia’s natural beauty is unmatched: from its lush, rolling Appalachian mountains to its vibrant, historic cities and biodiverse coastline. Protecting these landscapes and ecosystems isn’t just important—it’s essential to preserving our public health and climate. The Sierra Club Virginia Chapter advocates for the conservation, preservation and enhancement of the commonwealth's forests and urban trees, to safeguard these treasured natural assets so that future generations can experience the benefits and wonder of Virginia’s unique environment.
Cities
Urban tree canopy
Urban tree canopy is the amount of leaves and branches that provide shade in urban areas. Tree canopies provide cleaner, cooler air, soak up stormwater, muffle noise, enhance biodiversity, lower air conditioning bills and raise property values.
Insufficient or absent tree canopy is often found in disadvantaged communities. A lack of trees increases flooding risks, exacerbates heat-related and respiratory diseases, and has a negative impact on community, mental health, and well-being.
In 2022, Virginia passed a bill passed a bill to allow localities to adopt ordinances regarding the planting and replacement of trees during the development process. However, the ordinance only allows for 10%-20% tree canopy depending on the type of development. Robust tree canopies are generally 30%-50% or more.
Northern Virginia's Planning District 8 is currently the only district permitted to adopt higher tree canopy goals and establish a fund to replace trees. A 2025 bill passed by the General Assembly will allow all Virginia localities to adopt more robust goals and establish tree funds. The bill is awaiting the governor's signature.
- Chesapeake Tree Network's tree canopy initiatives dashboard
- Global Forest Watch's rates of forest change dashboard
Urban heat Islands
Sidewalks, rooftops, parking lots and a lack of trees and plants cause highly developed areas to be several degrees warmer than more natural surrounding areas. Higher temperatures negatively affect the health of people, plants, and wildlife; reduce water quality, and increase residents' energy bills. Underserved neighborhoods often suffer the most from heat-related impacts.
Virginia cities like Richmond and Charlottesville participate in urban heat island mapping initiatives to measure where and how significant the heat burden is, and to pinpoint where action is most needed.
Communities can plant native trees, shrubs and grasses, replace hard surfaces with permeable surfaces, and use light-reflecting materials to cool urban heat islands.
- National Integrated Heat Health Information System's urban heat island mapping dashboard
See detailed temperature data for Abingdon, Alexandria, Arlington, Blacksburg, Charlottesville, Farmville, Hampton Roads, Harrisonburg, Lynchburg, Petersburg, Richmond, Roanoke, Salem, and Winchester
Forests
Old growth forests are exciting and important places. They cool our climate, sequester carbon, provide habitat for a diverse array of flora and fauna, and provide a place for people to restore their well-being.
Virginia is part of the Atlantic Conservation Coalition, the goal of which is to reduce carbon emissions through conservation and restoration of natural resources while increasing community resilience to natural hazards. Work will include the restoration of tidal wetlands, shorelines, forests, and the planting of over 1,000,000 new native trees.
Resources
- To Feel Less Heat, We Need More Trees in Our Cities
- Urban Trees: A Tool for Improving Health, Climate, and the Economy
- Why Urban Trees Solve So Many of Our Problems
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