We support preserving Arlington’s urban forest and are
concerned about the rapid loss of trees on public and private lands. The loss
of 81 trees or more within the Donaldson Run Nature Area is very serious and
deserves careful reconsideration. These irreplaceable mature trees are
important to the environmental quality, energy efficiency, and psychological
health of Arlington. 64% of Arlington residents surveyed by the County placed natural
areas and trees as their highest priority use for public open spaces. The
Donaldson Run Tributary B steam restoration project, costing taxpayers over $1
million, sacrifices broad local natural environmental benefits for a narrow distant
storm water purpose. This project must be put on hold until a comprehensive technical
and cost/benefit reviews can be completed that include better alternatives
that use the money most effectively to meet all the community’s goals.
31 Comments
trees and natural environment are the better storm water solution. Also: restricting footprint of McMansions in order to preserve natural abosrption
Please consider these opinions shared by those of us greatly impacted. I remember when there were no paths. We enjoyed the woods and creek and shared with turtles. Now only rare sightings. So sad. Please do not strip it away.
Reminds me of when they cut down my grandmother's lovely, towering, perfectly healthy catalpas at Key & Veitch so they could pat themselves on the back for planting new trees there.
Arlington's tree cover is already terribly diminished. Please do not add to the problem by removing 81 trees!
Looks similar to what happened for the Wash Blvd. bike trail that originally planned to cut down many more trees. Penrose Neighborhood Assoc. pushed for redesign to minimize impact and somewhat succeeded. https://projects.arlingtonva.us/projects/washington-boulevard-trail/
This is one of the very top Arlington staff cheerleaders for trashing Donaldson Run. I'm sorry for her "planning roles" in Honduras, El Salvador, and Costa Rica and what those countries must have dealt with as a result, but am happy for the perspective of her unwelcome and destructive efforts in helping trash Arlington streams, wetlands, and wildlife. "Jennifer Fioretti is deputy director for the Arlington County Department of Parks and Recreation. Fioretti has over 17 years of urban planning, project management and public policy experience in the public and nonprofit sectors. Since joining the county, she has served in varying planning roles, most recently as regional transportation planning manager. Previously she worked in Honduras, El Salvador, and Costa Rica on land use planning projects. She has an MPA with a focus on state and local government and a BA in international development. Fioretti and her family are active users of the Arlington County park system."
Stream "restoration" projects are anything but. They are NOT science-based (except engineering quotas and practices) and are basically construction in natural areas. This is largely the fault of the Chesapeake Bay Program, which is too narrowly concerned with water quality quotas - despite their contradictory messages for forest conservation! Planners, engineers, and decision makers like the Arlington County Board are blithely ignorant of all the never-presented and never-assessed living components of our native, forested stream valleys. That needs to change - preferably by demanding much better stewardship of Arlington's natural resources and voting out of office all those who are just not up to demanding the preservation and conservation of the county's precious remaining natural resources.
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We support preserving Arlington’s urban forest and are
concerned about the rapid loss of trees on public and private lands. The loss
of 81 trees or more within the Donaldson Run Nature Area is very serious and
deserves careful reconsideration. These irreplaceable mature trees are
important to the environmental quality, energy efficiency, and psychological
health of Arlington. 64% of Arlington residents surveyed by the County placed natural
areas and trees as their highest priority use for public open spaces. The
Donaldson Run Tributary B steam restoration project, costing taxpayers over $1
million, sacrifices broad local natural environmental benefits for a narrow distant
storm water purpose. This project must be put on hold until a comprehensive technical
and cost/benefit reviews can be completed that include better alternatives
that use the money most effectively to meet all the community’s goals.
31 Comments
I just can't help but see the "cure" here as worse than the disease that is cited as justifcation for this restoration. It'll take a 50-100 years to close in the complete tree canopy at the same height as the current one.
trees and natural environment are the better storm water solution. Also: restricting footprint of McMansions in order to preserve natural abosrption
Please consider these opinions shared by those of us greatly impacted. I remember when there were no paths. We enjoyed the woods and creek and shared with turtles. Now only rare sightings. So sad. Please do not strip it away.
Reminds me of when they cut down my grandmother's lovely, towering, perfectly healthy catalpas at Key & Veitch so they could pat themselves on the back for planting new trees there.
Arlington's tree cover is already terribly diminished. Please do not add to the problem by removing 81 trees!
Looks similar to what happened for the Wash Blvd. bike trail that originally planned to cut down many more trees. Penrose Neighborhood Assoc. pushed for redesign to minimize impact and somewhat succeeded. https://projects.arlingtonva.us/projects/washington-boulevard-trail/
This is one of the very top Arlington staff cheerleaders for trashing Donaldson Run. I'm sorry for her "planning roles" in Honduras, El Salvador, and Costa Rica and what those countries must have dealt with as a result, but am happy for the perspective of her unwelcome and destructive efforts in helping trash Arlington streams, wetlands, and wildlife. "Jennifer Fioretti is deputy director for the Arlington County Department of Parks and Recreation. Fioretti has over 17 years of urban planning, project management and public policy experience in the public and nonprofit sectors. Since joining the county, she has served in varying planning roles, most recently as regional transportation planning manager. Previously she worked in Honduras, El Salvador, and Costa Rica on land use planning projects. She has an MPA with a focus on state and local government and a BA in international development. Fioretti and her family are active users of the Arlington County park system."
Stream "restoration" projects are anything but. They are NOT science-based (except engineering quotas and practices) and are basically construction in natural areas. This is largely the fault of the Chesapeake Bay Program, which is too narrowly concerned with water quality quotas - despite their contradictory messages for forest conservation! Planners, engineers, and decision makers like the Arlington County Board are blithely ignorant of all the never-presented and never-assessed living components of our native, forested stream valleys. That needs to change - preferably by demanding much better stewardship of Arlington's natural resources and voting out of office all those who are just not up to demanding the preservation and conservation of the county's precious remaining natural resources.
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I just can't help but see the "cure" here as worse than the disease that is cited as justifcation for this restoration. It'll take a 50-100 years to close in the complete tree canopy at the same height as the current one.