Loudoun County Tree Canopy Assessment & Interactive Map are Online

A comprehensive assessment of the existing and potential tree canopy in Loudoun County is now available on the Loudoun County website. The assessment, conducted using 2023 aerial imagery, analyzed the county's tree canopy, which is the collective layer of leaves, branches and stems of trees that cover the ground when viewed from above. The analysis method can account for individual trees over 10-15 feet.

The assessment revealed that tree canopy covers nearly half of Loudoun County (45%), with the remaining land divided between permeable surfaces such as grass and soil (44%) and impervious surfaces such as roads and buildings (11%).

The assessment also analyzed tree canopy changes in Loudoun from 2012 to 2023 and found that the canopy increased by 3% in that time. The increase was primarily due to maturing trees in older subdivisions and development of new residential and multi-use areas in non-forested land.

The assessment is illustrated online through the TreePlotter Canopy, an interactive mapping tool that shows how tree canopy coverage is distributed across Loudoun County. The tool also provides analysis options to help prioritize future tree planting activities by identifying plantable spaces in key locations, such as those that have experienced tree loss.

Tree protection is one of the natural resource initiatives in the Environmental and Energy Work Plan recommended by the county's Environmental Commission and approved by the Board of Supervisors (PDF). Protecting trees and forests can enhance the quality of life, well-being and natural environment enjoyed by residents and visitors to Loudoun. Trees play a crucial role in carbon sequestration, air purification and stormwater management. Additionally, trees help reduce energy costs, increase property values, provide urban cooling and enhance overall quality of life. Forest experts say that in one year a mature tree will absorb more than 48 pounds of carbon dioxide, removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere and releasing oxygen in exchange. The county provides funding support to residents interested in planting trees in their own neighborhoods.

More information about the tree canopy assessment, including a link to the TreePlotter Canopy, is online at loudoun.gov/TreeCanopy.

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