FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. – A grant valued at $12,353 has been awarded to the DPWES Urban and Community Forestry Division (UCFD) to help manage the invasive tree-of-heaven on county-owned land, and hemlock wooly adelgid at Scott’s Run Nature Preserve and NOVA Park properties in the southern part of the county. The grant is part of the FY25 Virginia PRISM Support for Invasive Species Program. UFCD is a core member of the National Capital - Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (Nat-Cap PRISM).

A portion of the funding will support a program to remove tree-of heaven (Ailanthus altissima) from county government properties such as schools, board of supervisor offices, libraries, fire and police stations, and government centers. The grant will enable UCFD to revisit sites mapped in 2020 and 2021 to update the tree of heaven inventory and evaluate sites where tree of heaven has been treated and removed to determine if follow-up treatments are needed. The findings will guide updates to UCFD’s tree of heaven management program.

The rest of the money will be used to continue a long-term management program to protect eastern hemlocks (Tsuga canadensis) from hemlock woolly adelgids (Adelges tsugae). Hemlock stands, which are rare in the county, are under management on county parkland to protect these ecologically significant trees and maintain the health of the local forest ecosystem. UCFD evaluates the trees at each site to determine what treatment is appropriate. The funds will pay for monitoring the trees, equipment, and treatment materials.

For more information about UCFD’s tree programs, visit: Urban and Community Forestry in Fairfax County | Public Works and Environmental Services