At a rally on Saturday, Fairfax County Supervisor Walter Alcorn called on Dominion Energy to agree to a robust replanting plan to restore the four-mile stretch along the W&OD that the utility clear cut.

The event was organized by the Sierra Club Great Falls Group, Washington Area Bicyclist Association, Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling, Coalition for Smarter Growth, Nature Forward and Fairfax Families for Safer Streets.

The utility and NOVA Parks, which owns the W&OD Trail, are continuing to negotiate a new memorandum of agreement to guide the future targeted trimming of trees that pose a threat to the power lines. However, the utility still hasn’t agreed to replant the areas along the trail where it lopped down 374 trees.

Local and state elected officials participated in the rally, and Alcorn said that elected officials must continue to press the issue with Dominion. Last fall, Supervisor Alcorn introduced a resolution before the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors asking Dominion to halt their indiscriminate clear-cutting on the trail. (Watch the video of Alcorn presenting this resolution.)

Why Invasive Removal Must be Paired with a Replanting Plan

While the utility has proposed spraying to kill the invasive plants that have overrun the areas that were cleared, this only partially addresses what’s needed, Alcorn said at the rally.

“The technical consensus is that a combined strategy of killing off invasives paired with a robust replanting plan that includes the full range of native species — including trees that don’t grow high enough to bother the power lines, shrubbery, and appropriately selected grasses — will provide the community a beautiful park that also supports pollinators — who provide an absolutely vital ecosystem service,” Supervisor Alcorn said.

A Sustainable Replanting Plan Requires Partnerships

In addition, Alcon said the replanting plan will require the cooperation of Dominion, NOVA Parks and the landowners whose property abuts the utility’s 100-foot easement along the W&OD Trail. These neighboring properties sometimes have very tall trees that threaten Dominion’s power lines.

By working together, however, the community can achieve the vision of a sustainable, naturally vibrant linear park and a clear corridor for transmitting the electricity needed by everyone who lives, works, and plays in Northern Virginia.

Why the W&OD Is Important

The W&OD Trail isn’t just an active recreation and transportation network. It’s also a true greenway for our local ecology. The trees and other natural features along the trail provide ecosystem services like habitat for native birds and wildlife, help to improve air quality and absorb greenhouse gases, absorb stormwater, and more.