(a) This chapter encourages the conservation and preservation of trees in the Virgin Islands and provides a tool by which the community of the Virgin Islands may create and maintain healthy and vigorous community forests in public spaces. It ensures the proper care and preservation of urban trees, ensures that tree canopy cover is maintained and improved in order to protect the health, safety and welfare of its citizens, and ensures a healthy, well-managed urban forest with high species diversity to co-exist with an urban infrastructure to the benefit of the people of the Virgin Islands.
(b) This chapter is intended to:(1) establish and maintain the maximum sustainable amount of tree cover on public lands, specifically the public right-of-way along roadsides and land around public buildings;(2) maintain publicly owned trees in a healthy and nonhazardous condition through established arboricultural practices;(3) create two Virgin Islands urban forester positions and establish a Virgin Islands Tree Board to support and advise them;(4) provide a process and mechanism by which hazardous public trees can be pruned or removed, if necessary, and give the public a forum in which to voice their opinions on tree removal; and(5) guide the planning of new urban forests by using best management practices for selecting appropriate species for roadsides and planting them in suitable locations.
(1) establish and maintain the maximum sustainable amount of tree cover on public lands, specifically the public right-of-way along roadsides and land around public buildings;
(2) maintain publicly owned trees in a healthy and nonhazardous condition through established arboricultural practices;
(3) create two Virgin Islands urban forester positions and establish a Virgin Islands Tree Board to support and advise them;
(4) provide a process and mechanism by which hazardous public trees can be pruned or removed, if necessary, and give the public a forum in which to voice their opinions on tree removal; and
(5) guide the planning of new urban forests by using best management practices for selecting appropriate species for roadsides and planting them in suitable locations.
(c) This chapter provides regulations for the care and maintenance of public trees, public nuisance trees and heritage trees.