VA urban forest be gone: Our neighbor wants to cut down most her trees in the back yard (new house)

[Dingler]

I Live in one of those rare areas of Northern VA that still has trees. It is an older neighborhood where there were bigger lots and many of the tall trees were saved, when the homes were built. Our backyard is next to a beautiful forest. But our neighbor does not like the big trees, she wants to replace most of her forested back yard and turn it into concrete.

It will destroy my view out of my back family room window. What can I do?

[claremarie]

Promise to rake the leaves, trim the branches, and assume financial responsibility for any tree that falls on her house or that needs to be removed.
But they are her trees, not yours, so if she decides to cut them down, there is really nothing you can do about it. Consider yourself blessed to have been able to enjoy her trees in the past, and plant some trees of your own to block your view of her concrete.

[ashbrn4]

Do you live in a community with a HOA? If so, cutting down trees in most is not allowed if you do not replace them. Also, does the county have a horticulturist and are there codes about keeping trees? In our community, we bought a new house (2003) that sits on a wooded lot with wooded areas around us. These areas are tree saves and no one can cut down the trees in them. The horticulturist can allow it if it's threatening your home or pedestrian areas, but you cannot just cut everything down. Call the county and ask about their policies and laws pertaining to clearing property.

Just because it affects your view won't carry any weight, but county laws will.

[NOVAnative]

Climb up the tree like a liberal activist and tie yourself to it. Maybe she will have sympathy. You could try to sue her because cutting down those trees will cause more CO2 to bring upon the impending doom of global warming.

[Yankeesfan]

Yes, call the county (or city) office and also your elected board official to see if there is a legal prohibition against her doing this.