	Cross County Trail Before and After 2008 - 2009 Paving Project Downstream from Lake Accotink

Before:

On April 29, 2008, I walked the path of the soon-to-be-paved Cross County Trail (CCT) from Hunter Village Drive north to the Lake Accotink Park dam. Bulldozers and dump trucks will soon follow, laying asphalt and cutting down trees that dare stand in or even near their way.

The paving path supposedly follows existing trail or sewer cuts between Old Keene Mill Road and the dam. At least there is a corridor here already cleared of trees about fifteen feet wide; although it is certain many more trees will be taken for the convenience of construction.

Passing through Byron Avenue Park, the asphalt is inexplicably going to be squeezed into a narrow corridor between the baseball diamonds and the creek, necessitating cutting down much of what little streamside buffer now exists. The path could easily have swung through the parking lot here, saving money, materials, and habitat.

The segment connecting to Hunter Village Drive will equally inexplicably be plowed through woods even though alternate cleared corridors along sewer and gas lines exist just a few dozen yards away.

Wildflowers I noticed in the path of destruction included Virginia bluebells, mayapple, violets, spring beauty, trout lilies, bloodroots, wild ginger, cucumber root, and more.

Here are the "Before" photos. The photos proceed from south to north (upstream) and are taken facing northward on the trail. The "During" and "After" photos will follow as construction/destruction proceeds.

Where the damage will be done