After Tree Clear Cutting, Tree Planting Planned Along Part Of Trail In Vienna

VIENNA, VA — Vienna Town Green is getting new trees after being affected by clear cutting by Dominion Energy on a portion of the Washington & Old Dominion Trail.

The Town of Vienna announced a tree planting will be held Friday at 3 p.m. on the Town Green. Vienna Mayor Linda Colbert will join NOVA Parks Executive Director Paul Gilbert and Fairfax County Supervisor Walter Alcorn to plant a new row of native Redbud trees on the Town Green along the W&OD Trail. The public is invited to attend in celebration of Arbor Day.

The town government credited NOVA Parks for making the tree planting possible. According to the town, the trees represent "the unity and shared commitment of NOVA Parks’ member jurisdictions to protect the natural resources of the W&OD Trail."

The tree planting follows a March 24 resolution by Vienna Town Council and several other localities seeking a stop to widespread clear cutting and return to selective tree pruning when possible. The town's resolution sought a plan for trees Dominion Energy intends to plant in the Town of Vienna, where trees have been cut down.

Dominion Energy has cleared trees along about four miles of the W&OD Trail in the Vienna and Dunn Loring areas for an electric line replacement project to address growing electricity needs.

In a letter, Dominion Energy explained that it hadn't done significant forestry work on the trail for 20 years. The company said the trees pose a concern to electric reliability for customers, and it faced potential penalties if it could not meet federal requirements from the North American Electric Reliability Corporation. Dominion Energy indicated it was temporarily pausing plans for other trees along the W&OD Trail, but plans are proceeding for the four-mile segment where clear cutting occurred.