Almost a year after Dominion Energy paused tree cutting along the Washington and Old Dominion Trail after complaints from counties and towns along the popular walking and biking path, Dominion Energy and NOVA Parks have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) about future vegetation management.
The MOU recognizes the need for routine vegetation management to protect the safe and reliable operation of Dominion’s transmission lines in the public park and the safety of users.
It also strives to improve communication and lessen the inconvenience to trail users during projects. “Dominion will provide 30 days advance notice to NOVA Parks, neighboring jurisdiction officials and residents of nearby transmission projects and major maintenance work by mail and posted signage along the trial,” according to a joint news release.
According to the MOU, Dominion will replant select areas of the roughly four-mile stretch in the Vienna and Dunn Loring areas that was cut in 2024 and 2025.
The agreement “promotes the pruning of existing trees when feasible, while recognizing that tree removal will be necessary in some area.”
The MOU establishes practices to reduce invasive species along the W&OD Trail, while promoting the planting of low-growing native trees and pollinators, to support the long-term health and aesthetic value of the trail.
The agreement says that before Dominion begins transmission projects or major maintenance work, the utility will provide NOVA Parks with the location of work on a GPS vicinity map.
Dominion will specify the tree inventory of impacted species, as well as the size of the trees to be affected, and a map of proposed planting and invasive species treatments that are scheduled.
Dominion said it bought the W&OD property in 1968 to develop electric transmission lines. In 1977, it sold the property to the park authority under the agreement that the electric company would maintain the broader right of way for the transmission lines.
The agreement comes after previous disputes over appropriate strategies to balance maintaining the transmission lines, while minimizing the effects on trail users.