Trees; conservation and replacement during development process.

Conservation and replacement of trees duringdevelopment process. Expands existing local government authorityto conserve or replace trees during the development process by allowinglocalities to establish higher tree canopy replacement percentages,based on density per acre, lot size, or any other measurement relevantto the practices of the locality to achieve MS4 stormwater nutrientreductions, mitigate urban heat islands, increase resilience to climatechange, including reducing coastal and inland flooding, and mitigateair pollution. The bill also alters the current process for grantingexceptions to a local ordinance by removing a provision that requires the granting of an exception when strict application of the ordinancewould result in unnecessary or unreasonable hardship to the developerand replacing it with a determination by the locality that the strictapplication would be unreasonable in a specific instance. The bill makes numerous technical amendments.