Particularly in our urban areas, we have a persistent issue with the loss of trees to development and other practices.  Your supposition that this proposal to increase tree removal has no disadvantage to the public or the Commonweath is blatantly false.  Trees provided a vast number of benefits including stormwater management, wildlife habitat, cooling, noise attenuation, beauty, and much more.   Trees absorb CO2 and provide air filtration.  We need to teach the ethic that trees are important and vital to the community and not something to cut down whenever it is a minor nuisance.  

Here in Chesapeake, the Friends of Indian River have been working with partners to increase the tree canopy in the South Hampton Roads cities, including the planting of trees along our roadways.  We have spent considerable time and effort on these projects including using funding from the DOF's Virginia Trees for Clean Water Grant.  This proposal directly negates these efforts by likely resulting in the cutting down of many more trees than we could ever plant. 

Stop and rescind this proposal.

Thank you,

Rogard Ross, President, Friends of Indian River