Fairfax County honors special trees

Do you know any special tree worthy of being designated as a “celebrated tree of Fairfax County”?

The Fairfax County Tree Commission is seeking nominations for special trees in these categories: big tree (one of the largest of its species); historic tree (associated with a significant event, landmark, person, or institution); commemorative tree (a tree or group of trees planted as a memorial of an event or person); or a favorite tree (only one nomination per person for this category).

To nominate a tree, submit an online application along with a photograph and pertinent details, such as measurements and location. There is no deadline; this is an ongoing effort aimed at raising public awareness of the importance of trees.

“Big trees,” will be submitted for consideration to the Virginia Big Tree Program, which maintains a database of the five biggest trees of any species in the state. The largest tree of a species is designated a “champion tree.” Of the hundreds of trees on the state database, two are in Annandale: a 108-foot scarlet oak near Round Tree Park (pictured) and a 20-foot American plum on Ravensworth Road, about a block from Little River Turnpike. The plum tree was designated a “national champion” in 2008, but lost that title when a larger one (28 feet) was found in Giles County, Va.

Trees are judged champions based on a point system. Trees are assigned a number of points by adding the trunk circumference (in inches), the height (in feet), plus one-quarter of the crown spread (in feet).

Bob Vickers, a member of the Fairfax County Tree Commission, is developing a big-tree database for the county. His goal is to get as many Fairfax County big trees on the state list as possible.

Preserving trees is a worthy goal: They contribute to a community’s appearance, health, and quality of life. Even a single tree can improve the environment. According to the county website, one mature tree with a 26-foot canopy can absorb the emissions of a vehicle driven 11,500 miles every year.

The Board of Supervisors adopted an ordinance in 2007 to protect individual trees on county land designated as “specimen trees”  (because of their size or quality), memorial trees, and trees that have historical or cultural interest. There is a $2,500 fine for removing a protected tree without permission from the county.

The preservation ordinance supports the county’s 30-Year Tree Canopy Goal, which calls for trees to cover 45 percent of the county by 2037. Achieving that goal requires planning an additional 2.6 million new trees to offset those lost to development.