Letters to the Editor: August 27 – September 2, 2020

W&OD Trail Renovations Denude Path’s Natural Feel

Editor,

I saw the recent destruction of all the vines and foliage along the bike trail from Great Falls to Grove St. It was rather disturbing to see after 40 years of that being there. I’m sure the houses on the bike trail liked the privacy it offered. I should know as I grew up on Lincoln Ave. It provided habitat, nesting areas for birds, foxes, rabbit holes, etc. Seems like there should have been a better environmentally sound way to create a bike path.

For over 50 years the electric company and Nova Parks has butchered trees when they are nowhere near power lines. Their crews have no training whatsoever in how to properly prune trees and it’s obvious in the destruction along the bike path. They killed the beautiful flowering and fragrant trees at the Great Falls Park bench and then left them there to rot. They killed them and then left the dead trees standing there. They killed a beautiful Japanese maple by cutting the limbs at the top in a bowl shape causing it to die.

Walkers beware: There will be no more honey suckle, black eyed Susans and birds twittering and rabbits. Two deer which I’d seen once before behind the brush and greenery were now standing there staring at me in disbelief as if to say “Where’s my foliage? I feel naked.”

Now its going to be just pavement and the sun beating down on you. You’ve created a real nice walking trail now. All because bikers can’t ride normally and have to pretend they are in the Tour de France.

Jen Smith

Falls Church

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