Public invited to Tree Forum
While we can’t do much about the trees that were destroyed by the recent windstorm, too many trees around here are needlessly chopped down because homeowners think they might fall on a house or cause too much shade. And that’s a problem that can hurt everything from wildlife, to drainage, to property values.
The public is invited to the Braddock District Tree Forum to learn how to protect and preserve trees in your yard and neighborhood.
It’s Wednesday, March 7, at the Kings Park Library, 9000 Burke Lake Road, Burke, 7:30-9:30 p.m.
Speakers will address the benefits of trees, tree pests and diseases, and suggestions for planting native trees. Representatives from the Fairfax County Tree Commission, Virginia Department of Forestry, Fairfax County Urban Forest Management Division, and the Virginia Native Plant Society will be on hand to answer questions.
20 responses to “Public invited to Tree Forum”
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Newcomers to this country are particular insensitive to the value of trees in their yard. The tree choppers play on their ignorance and fears. My rear yard neighbor has cut down four 60 year old mature maples. I have lost my shade and the cooling that those trees provided. I will never regain what those trees brought to my yard for it would take 60 years. This will increase my AC bills in the summer and change the micro environment. Less birds and more heat. Trees provide a cooling affect to the heat island impact of the built environment. The lack of education on the values of trees is probably the greatest contributor to the deforestation of Fairfax County. Our political leaders do nothing to protect our local environment and for that they should be shameful. Maybe this is a first step, but its going to take allot more than placating a few environmentalists.
One of the reasons I appreciate my HOA. True, they can't keep people from taking down a tree they don't want, and sometimes nature makes the choice for them, but everyone's required to replace a tree they lose/remove. Our HOA board knows full well that the trees serve both a useful purpose for the environment and increase the value of all the homes in our neighborhood.
My heart goes out to you for the loss of those trees.
Well our supervisor should help with things such as this but she doesn't do a damn thing.
Did you ask your neighbor why they had the maples cut down? What were their reasons?
Without this rationale, you complaint comes across as biased.
This account sounds familiar. My friend in Springfield has two separate neighbors on their street that are 'newcomers' and they have told him how much they fear trees and their branches. They saved money to take their trees down and in the meantime, cut off all the branches until their trees looked like large poles in the middle of their backyards.
My neighbor claimed their trees were dying which they were not. Having studied horticulture, I know enough to have confirmed that the trees were healthy but needing care. When a tree branch is dying you cut the branch off to the trunk, not the entire tree. But she wouldn't listen. She believed those piranha tree choppers to know more than me. Now her yard is treeless and constantly soaked because there are not any trees to absorb the water. She blames it on me because my property is up on a knoll.
Stupid people do stupid things and then they pay the price. Mother nature always wins. Tree care is paramount if your interested in saving the tree. Most people think that the tree is going to take care of itself. Older trees like older people need care. We don't chop people down when they are 60, we should not do that to trees. And if you get a tree trimmer tell them not to chop the top branches as if they were broccoli stalks. Trees are not broccoli. One always trims from the bottom. The top is where the tree has most of its photosynthesis and creates food for it roots. Once the tree tops are chopped off, much of its food source is cut off, and I can guarantee you that the tree will be doomed.
Unfortunately, Fairfax is filling up with more uneducated home owners that do not have a clue or care about tree care. And the County is about as clueless in not do anything about it, creating restrictions or education its people. As for your bias statement: if you go to most neighborhoods that have a high percentage of uneducated working class immigrants, you will find that the trees have been annihilated. And that is really ashame because the entire locality suffers. Birds lose nesting areas, more heat and moisture evaporates into the air that cause micro-burst storms.
These crazy storms are being created by the fact that we have ignored our planet's natural abilities to maintain stasis. Taking care of your trees is a small but valuable contribution. A healthy tree has a much lesser chance of falling and doing damage to your property. When a tree is sick, feed it one of the Bayer products. And on a regular basis feed and water the trees and you will have trees that will not only protect you from harsh UV rays, keep you cool in the summer but it also breaks will up the winds. Each healthy tree on your property adds about a $5K value to your home value.
So be smart save your trees and educate you neighbors.
Would it not be sensible if the county gave a tax break to homeowners that saved old trees or planted new ones? I guess that would be too out of the box for the BOS to implement. That might be better than creating regulation or a mandate on saving older trees. But as usual the BOS lacks vision and cant do anything that supports improving our quality of life and the environment. They are too wrapped around trying to fund the illegals attending the FFX public schools, while the county continues to decline, particularly in its older districts like Mason.
If the trees are healthy there’s no reason to remove them. They are incredibly beneficial. I agree that many newcomers seem to remove their trees at a fast rate.
Here's another nice opportunity to increase the number of native trees in your own backyard. The Northern Virginia Soil & Water Conservation District's Annual Seedling sale is going on now… this year's theme is to help reduce deer browsing and pick ups are at the Packard Center. Here's the link:
https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/soil-water-conservation/native-seedling-sale/
I whole hearted agree with the first commenter. Many home owners and lot of new home buyers in general are unaware of the importance of our mature trees. The minimal care needed to insure healthy continued growth is not difficult or expensive to provide. It’s a lot cheaper than cutting them all down. I think it would be of great value to for Fairfax County or an organization to promote the value of existing old growth trees. We need to help new home owners understand this importance of being a good steward of this resource. Mature trees add to the character of a community and the value of the homes. Recently someone removed healthy old growth trees from their yard in my community and the visual impact is disturbing. There are trees in our area that have been here prior to the civil war. It’s not just esthetics it’s a little bit of history that gets erased when these old growth trees are chopped up.
Amen. I cringe when I see what amounts to clear-cutting around here, and almost mourn the loss of older trees in our neighborhood that have reached the end of their lifespan (or have gotten to unhealthy to nurse back to life).
I wish I could have a shot at the people who see fit to take down whatever greenery doesn't suit their whims, but my hand would probably get raw from all the slapping I'd have to deal out!
These people that cut down trees wont be happy until they turn Mason into a slum.
Developers are the main culprit when it comes to tree removal in this area. The Sleepy Hollow corridor used to be a pleasant shady lane before they started clear cutting everything. – Sparky
Of additional concern are the many "old timers" to this country who are too lazy to maintain their trees and yards (or too cheap to pay someone else to do it), so trees end up consumed with ivy and/or other intrusive climbing weeds that eventually kill the trees and make them hazards and eyesores.
At least "newcomers" try to keep their yards clean, perhaps to a fault.
Please send your "newcomers" my way. The ones I see in Mason drop water bottles on their own property or at the curb expecting some unknown county management company to pick up their trash.
I think a balanced approach is necessary. We can't just say all trees are good. When I bought my house, numerous trees in our hard were dead or hanging over the house or affecting the foundation of the house Many of the trees I saw that came down in last week's wind were decaying. Many others were planted too close to lines/houses that then cause damage. Virginia Power has a legal obligation to cut trees away from power lines. And some tree removal is good for grasses. Trees absorb huge amounts of water that can be of benefit to other plants/grasses etc. Trees can also block beneficial air flow. Not saying that folks's concerns above aren't valid or worthy of consideration. I merely think that a balanced approach should be considered.
A balanced viewpoint that considers many opinions? that doesn't belong here.
Such a negative opinion of the blog; what happened, did someone s–t on your fruit loops?
AHAHAHAHAHA I SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE!
Sure; balance is nice, and solid long-term planning is often in short supply, but we're losing trees and other important plants a lot faster than we are gaining any. Taking down numerous perfectly healthy trees–which is the case here–is not helping at all.
The National Wildlife Foundation has a program that provides excellent guidelines for supporting native (or at the least, non-invasive) species of plants and animals on your own property, be it your home, your office, or your school. It's a DIY system, but for those who want official recognition, you can get a certificate and a sign that advertises your work and helps educate others. Both my home and the school where I teach are certified habitats; though the school program is understandably more complex, they're both wonderful experiences. Because native greenery is naturally low-maintenance, you needn't have a green thumb to succeed! Even the smallest parcel of land can qualify if it provides the necessary elements. To learn more:
https://www.nwf.org/Home/Garden-for-Wildlife/About