By Natalie Roy

If you have been following our community listserv, you know our neighborhood, has concerns about the County’s new Circuit Tree Maintenance program. We were alarmed at the number of trees slated for removal in our neighborhood, the lack of specifics shared in advance about the program, and whether future replanting, pruning, and maintenance efforts will truly be robust. We were very disturbed by the spotty communications in advance of this major effort by the County, which will reshape our tree canopy landscape for years to come. 

As a result of the situation, LPCA took the following actions. We held a community Treeside Chat meeting with concerned residents and also participated in a virtual meeting with the County’s Urban Forestry staff, which was very much appreciated. The Urban Forestry staff, who are both certified arborists, made it clear that one of their key objectives is removing very unhealthy and/or dead trees that could be public safety hazards. We wholeheartedly agree with the County that very unsafe dying and dead trees should be removed. 

While the virtual meeting was very informative, it was too little too late. Many community members expressed concerns that the program will struggle to succeed due to miniscule funding levels and that there is a lack of confidence the County will conduct a comprehensive replanting effort. Since time is of the essence, Lyon Park sent a letter to the County Board and County Manager for an immediate stay of execution on the removal of key trees in our community, including the Gateway tree (pictured on this page) located in the N Fillmore Street triangle. There is no reason to rush after decades of County neglect. For a copy of the letter visit our website. 

In addition to inquiring about the tree contractor’s apparent lack of an Arlington business license, LPCA has also raised questions about whether the County is following the rules and proper procedures of Arlington County Code Chapter 67: Trees and Shrubs. As of now, the County has held firm that they will not delay or alter tree removal, even for trees for which we have requested a second opinion. LPCA is in the process of establishing an active tree committee and will continue to advocate for our community’s tree canopy and for a robust replanting and maintenance effort. If you are interested in getting more involved, please shoot me an email at lpcapresidentnur@gmail.com.