Grass to Forest Initiative
Grass to Forest Initiative
We hope you and your family have been enjoying our community open space and our many recently improved trails! A “GRASS TO FOREST INITIATIVE,” in coordination with the Board of Trustees (BoT), is being sponsored by Crosspointe’s Open Space Committee (OSC). You may have noticed that many of the areas that we mow in the community are not used for recreational purposes and have simply been mowed from year to year because that’s how it’s always been. The OSC has coordinated with Fairfax ReLeaf, a non-profit Fairfax County organization, to identify candidate areas within the community that would be ideal for potential reforestation. The OSC identified over ten sites for evaluation. Of these ten sites, the OSC has gained initial approval from the BoT to explore the possibility of implementing the pilot program on three of the sites. The first planting of seedlings is anticipated to take place in Fall 2020. Fairfax ReLeaf has supported the site evaluation, selection of the best indigenous species of trees and bush, and provides the plants and planting materials for free. There is no cost to the community to work with Fairfax ReLeaf for consultation or plants.
Potential Benefits:
- Increased Property Values
o 1-10% increase in home values [Source: Fairfax ReLeaf]
o More wooded area will allow for the growth of more mature trees which will improve the “curb appeal” of the neighborhood
o Natural screening of major roads (Hooes Rd., Ox Rd., and Silverbrook Rd.)
- Reduced cost for homeowners
o 10 – 20% reduction in cooling costs [Source: Fairfax ReLeaf]
o 5 – 10% reduction in heating costs [Source: Fairfax ReLeaf]
o Reduced mowing area could eventually result in significant savings annually based on the Professional Grounds bid for the 2021 Grounds Contract renewal. [Source: Grounds Contract Committee]
- Recreation
o More shade on existing Crosspointe trails and courts
o Wooded feel of trails along Silverbrook Rd., Hooes Rd., and Ox Rd.
- Environmental
o More trees to capture CO2 and provide better air quality for the community
o More area for bees, birds, and other wildlife [Source: NORTH AMERICAN POLLINATOR PROTECTION CAMPAIGN]
o Less grassy area erosion issues [Source: Fairfax ReLeaf]
o Integrated Pest Management: Trees provide habitat for many insects, particularly caterpillars, which is food for 95% of bird species. Keeping birds and other insect predators around helps keep ‘pest’ populations in check without sprays. [Source: Fairfax ReLeaf]
o Non-Point Pollutant Control: Converting grass to forest reduces pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers that rain would wash into streams, ultimately polluting our waterways, i.e., non-point pollution
Before we get started on this, we would like your opinion of the first 3 reforestation sites we’ve selected. Detailed information on the 3 sites can be found at the link below. Please complete this survey (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/6NFMSLV) by 9/30/2020 if you would like to provide formal feedback. Also, please let Stuart Copan (Crosspointe’s Open Space Committee Chairman), at debcopan@gmail.com or Heather McDevitt (Crosspointe’s Manager) at cp.manager@verizon.net know if you have any questions about this important initiative. Additionally, we’re going to need help planting so please let us know if you can volunteer some time and muscle to assist
Sincerely,
Crosspointe Open Space Committee
