Article Text

Dominion Energy’s extensive removal of trees and vegetation along four miles of the Washington & Old Dominion Trail between Vienna and Dunn Loring has alarmed residents, elected leaders and the agency that owns the trail.

Tree work was expected as Dominion replaced electrical lines in the corridor. But when cutting began in November, its scale went far beyond what Northern Virginia Regional Parks Authority officials had anticipated.

Paul Gilbert, executive director of NOVA Parks, said crews cleared vegetation across much of the trail property and removed even small trees capable of eventually growing taller than 15 feet. He described the approach as a major departure from Dominion’s previous practices.

The cutting reached the Vienna Town Green, according to Mayor Linda Colbert, who said residents had sent numerous emails and comments expressing frustration. NOVA Parks also heard from community members, including one who said trees near their street had been eliminated all the way to the trail.

The removals have intensified existing concerns about Vienna’s declining tree canopy and the loss of shade, habitat and natural buffers along the popular trail.

Dominion ends a 20-year agreement

Dominion holds an easement that permits it to remove trees along the W&OD corridor. For nearly two decades, however, its vegetation work was guided by a voluntary memorandum of understanding with NOVA Parks.

That agreement was created in 2005 after an earlier round of widespread clearing triggered fierce public opposition. It generally limited removals to trees posing a direct threat to power lines—typically those exceeding 15 feet—and called for Dominion to replace trees it removed.

When NOVA Parks questioned the latest cutting, Dominion disclosed that it was terminating the agreement.

The decision raised concerns that affected sections in Vienna and Dunn Loring might not be restored. Officials also worried Dominion could use the same clearing methods elsewhere along the 45-mile trail, including portions near Reston where power lines share the corridor.

Gilbert said the dispute could therefore extend well beyond the current four-mile project.

Grid upgrades drive the work

Dominion began preliminary work in July 2024 to replace a transmission line between the Clark substation at 375 Center Street near Caboose Tavern in Vienna and the Idylwood substation at 7701 Shreve Road.

The project is divided into two phases. The first covers 2.8 miles between the Clark substation and Sandburg Street. The second covers the remaining 1.1 miles from Gallows Road to Idylwood.

Early work focused largely on clearing brush to make room for construction equipment. Replacement of the wires required a temporary trail closure in November, and another closure was expected before the project’s scheduled completion in summer 2025.

Dominion called the project its first significant forestry-maintenance effort in the W&OD corridor since the 2005 agreement. Spokesperson Craig Carper said two decades of tree growth had created an unacceptable threat to the safety and reliability of the electrical grid.

Regional population growth, development and the rapid expansion of data centers have increased electricity demand in Northern Virginia. Dominion has also been upgrading infrastructure in Loudoun County, where transmission lines following the W&OD Trail are being relocated to the Route 7 corridor.

The utility additionally cited federal clearance requirements introduced since 2005 for transmission lines carrying at least 200 kilovolts. The replacement Clark-Idylwood line is designed to carry as much as 230 kilovolts.

Carper said Dominion could face fines of up to $1 million per day for each violation involving severe risks to community safety. The changed regulatory environment and the need for reliable transmission made ending the old agreement necessary, he said.

Pollinator habitat proposed for cleared land

NOVA Parks does not object to removing trees that genuinely threaten power infrastructure, Gilbert said. Its concern is that Dominion ended the agreement without offering a replacement or committing to restore the damaged areas.

Dominion had indicated that it would produce a replanting plan, but Gilbert said none materialized.

On Dec. 12, NOVA Parks proposed converting the cleared land into pollinator gardens containing wildflowers, native plants and smaller trees such as dogwoods. Those species could improve biodiversity and the trail’s appearance without growing tall enough to interfere with transmission lines.

The restoration could also stop invasive plants from taking over exposed ground, a recurring problem along former railroad beds such as the W&OD corridor. Maintaining meadows and pollinator gardens could reduce Dominion’s future tree-removal costs, Gilbert said.

Establishing those habitats would require years of removing invasive plants, sowing native species and maintaining the land. A preliminary estimate put the cost of fully restoring the 23 acres expected to be affected by the end of March at nearly $200,000.

Dominion initially rejected the proposal during a Jan. 9 meeting because of its continuing costs. The utility instead offered NOVA Parks a one-time payment of $50,000, an amount calculated by its internal experts.

Gilbert called the offer inadequate, arguing that it failed to account for the long-term effects on a natural resource used by thousands of people for transportation and recreation.

Officials agreed to tour the corridor, identify the worst-affected locations and estimate restoration expenses. No firm mitigation plan emerged at the time.

A Jan. 10 memo from Gilbert to Fairfax County officials said Dominion had suggested Reston might be addressed next. Gilbert later said that disclosure was probably unintended. Carper said Dominion had no active project in Reston and was focused on the Vienna-Dunn Loring corridor, though it would evaluate other trail sections when necessary.

Local leaders press Dominion for action

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay, Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn and Del. Holly Seibold sent letters to Dominion Energy Virginia President Edward Baine on Feb. 6. They questioned both the scale of the clearing and the absence of a replacement agreement.

Seibold, whose district includes Vienna, acknowledged Dominion’s obligation to protect infrastructure and maintain reliable service. She warned, however, that removing mature trees could encourage invasive plants while reducing shade, wildlife habitat, air-quality benefits and the park’s visual appeal.

McKay endorsed pollinator gardens as the preferred solution. Alcorn, who represents Vienna and Reston, asked Dominion to establish an agreement balancing electrical infrastructure with environmental stewardship before undertaking more clearing.

Vienna officials have likewise advocated planting native species that meet Dominion’s height limits while restoring the shady, natural buffer valued by residents and trail users. Colbert said she, the town manager and the parks and recreation director were continuing discussions with Dominion and NOVA Parks.

A long-term plan begins to take shape

After weeks of pressure, Dominion indicated that it was developing a new approach.

In a Feb. 19 response to McKay and Alcorn, Baine said the utility was preparing a long-term plan that would include pollinator habitat and stronger invasive-species controls. Dominion expected to share it with NOVA Parks by the end of February.

Carper declined to provide details before another meeting with NOVA Parks and other stakeholders, saying the proposal would be released publicly after it was finalized.

He said Dominion was committed to finding a practical way to establish native pollinator gardens throughout the four-mile project area while preventing vegetation from threatening its transmission lines.

That commitment brought cautious optimism from local leaders. Alcorn said he was encouraged that Dominion recognized the need to prevent the effects of widespread tree removal and wanted to see how the company would help restore the corridor.

Gilbert also welcomed the shift. He said Dominion had previously worked well with NOVA Parks, including on invasive-species control, but its recent clearing methods failed to address the need for prompt restoration.

Without a proactive plan, he warned, the stripped areas could remain overrun by invasive vegetation for years.