Celebrations of nature and environmental protection are happening across Arlington and Falls Church in honor of Earth Day today (Tuesday).
An array of nature hikes, stream cleanups, yoga sessions and other activities are scheduled to continue through this weekend and beyond, offering local residents a chance to participate in the global effort to support conservation.
Planned changes to local preservation guidelines have some local officials concerned about needless bureaucracy as well as loopholes for developers.
Several members of the county’s Park and Recreation Commission voiced skepticism after they received a briefing on proposed changes slated for Arlington County Board consideration in June.
The Arlington County Board has unanimously adopted a new policy statement on the county’s response to changing climate conditions.
But some on the same side of the issue as the five elected officials urged them to move even more quickly and aggressively.
Ranked-choice voting, a climate resolution, the contentious Melwood development proposal and the draft Fiscal Year 2026 county budget are all on the agenda for a County Board meeting slated for Saturday (Feb. 22).
Among the highlights:
Local residents are being asked to join millions around the globe taking part in the 2025 Great Backyard Bird Count.
Held from Friday, Feb. 14 through Monday, Feb. 17, the observations that result will help scientists better understand global bird migrations, noted the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, which is working to coordinate state events.
A lack of commercial properties in Arlington’s development pipeline is having a negative impact on the community’s tree canopy.
The Arlington County government’s Tree Canopy Fund last spring had “essentially run out of money” and was being kept alive by a one-time, $250,000 appropriation from County Board members.
Could a boardwalk for visitors one day encircle the Roaches Run Waterfowl Sanctuary adjacent to Gravelly Point?
And could there be better accessibility to the site, which today is effectively restricted to vehicular traffic?
Arlington property owners next year likely will have a number of new ways to claim rebates against the government’s new stormwater fees.
County staff have proposed two additions to existing opportunities to lessen the annual stormwater fee, which is based on a property’s impermeable surface and for residential properties averaged $258 this year.
A recently released analysis may provide the fuel to rekindle ongoing debate about the state of Arlington’s treescape.
“We don’t know if we trust your data. We trust our eyes,” said Elizabeth Grossman of the Arlington Tree Action Group (ATAG), who used the County Board’s Nov. 16 public-comment period to encourage county leaders not to take a victory lap over the new figures.
Arlington’s tree canopy may be on a slight upswing, according to county officials.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean there are more trees in the community.
The first update in five years to Arlington’s Green Building Incentive Program is likely to have more stringent rules but also more pathways for developers to meet them.
The Arlington government in 1999 began providing incentives for developers willing to go beyond minimum requirements in environmentally friendly design. The program was updated in 2014 and again in 2020.
Extra emphasis on road safety, environmental resiliency and facilities upgrades is included in the final draft of Arlington’s latest 10-year Capital Improvement Plan.
The Arlington County Board yesterday (Tuesday) approved a $4.5 billion Fiscal Year 2025-2034 CIP, outlining planned investment in county infrastructure and assets. Changes between the original proposal presented in May and the final draft include:
