Over the next year, visitors can expect to see fewer invasive plant species and more native plantings along the Washington & Old Dominion Trail and other regional parks.
The NOVA Parks Board of Directors adopted a fiscal year 2027 budget at its meeting last Thursday (May 21) that includes increased funding for invasive species management throughout the system, and for tree and shrubbery plantings along the 45-mile W&OD Trail, among other priorities.
The plantings are being funded by a $100,000 contribution from Dominion Energy related to the utility’s new vegetation management agreement with NOVA Parks, Justin Wilson, executive director of the regional parks authority, confirmed.
Finalized in February after an outcry over tree clearings in the Vienna and Dunn Loring area, the agreement requires Dominion to provide at least 30 days’ advance notice of any power line projects affecting the W&OD Trail, receive NOVA Parks’ approval for any tree or shrub removals and replant affected areas with native plants when possible.
The agreement also committed Dominion to restoring vegetation in parts of Vienna and Dunn Loring where trees along the trail had been removed. That process is still ongoing, utility spokesperson Aisha Khan says.
“Dominion installed plantings along the Trail in Dunn Loring/Vienna last fall and will be installing additional plantings this spring and fall,” Khan said by email.
The new NOVA Parks budget also supports a systemwide expansion of invasive species management and habitat restoration efforts, which are carried out by a combination of staff, volunteers and contractors, Wilson told FFXnow.
According to a NOVA Parks press release, other initiatives funded by the budget include:
- An expansion of the Roving Naturalist program, which provides guided nature walks, kayak tours, live animal programs and other activities intended to connect residents to the natural world
- Additional staffing at Alexandria’s Winkler Botanical Preserve, which is expanding its hours of operation
- Expanded full-time staffing for Bull Run Regional Park in Centreville to support field trips and other programs for Title I schools
- Pay raises for staff, including a 2.2% cost of living increase
- A 48% increase in major maintenance funding with the goal of reducing the impact of park repairs
- Development of a new five-year strategic plan for fiscal years 2028 to 2033
Overall, the budget totals $43.3 million — a 5.25% increase over the current FY 2026 spending plan funded primarily by rising revenue, including from facility user fees and retail operations. The full budget will be posted online once it takes effect on July 1.
“While we present this budget in a uniquely uncertain time for the region, NOVA Parks’ strong revenue growth and entrepreneurial spirit have positioned us to expand our services throughout Northern Virginia,” NOVA Parks Board Chair Sean Kumar said in the release. “NOVA Parks is indispensable in providing new services to the region, and especially when municipal budgets are constrained.”
Adopted in August 2022, NOVA Parks’ current strategic plan proposed an expansion of a “dual trail” design for the W&OD Trail, a new visitor center for the trail that will be located in Vienna and a reimagining of Gateway Regional Park in Fairfax City as a wetlands educational facility.
It also established broader goals for protecting parklands and the environment, expanding the accessibility and diversity of park programs, and supporting both current and future staff.
According to Wilson, NOVA Parks is “in the process” of choosing a contractor to help update the strategic plan, a process that’s expected to take about a year to complete.
