Town announces ‘Native Plant Restoration’ project along Happy Creek’s banks from South Street north along Commerce Avenue

On Wednesday, June 15, the Town of Front Royal announced the approaching start of restoration efforts of at least a portion of the Happy Creek bank running parallel to Commerce Avenue’s west side from South Street northbound. The cutting down of trees and their replacement with rip-rap rocks along Happy Creek’s banks during the tenure of former Interim Town Manager Matt Tederick without consultation with the Town’s then in-place Urban Forestry Advisory Commission (UFAC) and volunteer Tree Stewards caused a major citizen and advisory bodies push back against the plan and its implementation.

On Nov. 21, 2020, citizens and residents of Front St., the latter illustrated by the large yard sign behind the hand-held signs, expressed their discontent with the Town’s defoliation project launched without public discussion or consultation with citizens or local environmental partners. Below, Paul Gabbert wonders who authorized what, when and why; and one young citizen sends a double-barreled message to town government. Royal Examiner File Photos Roger Bianchini

It was noted by members of UFAC, who resigned en masse in protest, and the Tree Stewards who planted and cared for many of the impacted trees, that the rip-rap plan flew in the face of accepted stream riparian buffer strategies emphasizing the positive impact of tree root systems and selected other natural growth on stream bank maintenance and flood control. And while some town officials pointed the finger at the contractor hired to perform the work, that contractor replied that it was simply following the instructions it had been given from town officials in the tree removal effort.

But now about a year-and-a-half after the “not so Happy Creek” public protests illustrated above, the Town is moving forward in concert with its new environmental advisory body and official to reclaim, at least portions of the Happy Creek stream bank to a more natural state. However, there appears to be no indication of a plan to remove rip-rap rocks to allow a larger area to be reclaimed, at least not at this point in time.

First two photos Courtesy of the Tree Stewards show a before and after perspective on the defoliation looking south from Prospect St. – I don’t think that bank’s going to look like that first picture when Spring returns. And further below, the start of implementation of the rip-rap rocks in place of the missing trees from the Prospect St. bridge as protesters gathered on Nov. 21, 2020.

See the Town’s release on the approaching work in its entirety below:

The Town of Front Royal will soon begin work on restoring the riparian corridor along Happy Creek from South Street northwards, with leadership and oversight from the Environmental Sustainability Advisory Committee (ESAC). The timeline for this project is estimated to run from July to November of 2022 and will include the following course of action:

• Beneficial native trees that have naturally recruited in the previously denuded riparian area (e.g., Sycamores) will be flagged, protected, and allowed to continue growing naturally.
• An overabundance of invasive and aggressive tree, shrub, and ground cover species that have infiltrated will be removed by manual cutting followed by a targeted herbicide application. Community members should expect to see work crews and machinery removing this vegetation, which is necessary to allow for a Fall planting of desirable native vegetation.
• A select list of native tree, shrub, and ground cover species will be strategically planted in the Fall. There will be opportunities for community involvement during these plantings that will be widely announced closer to that time.

ESAC, the Town of Front Royal, and partnering groups are committed to re-establishing a beautiful riparian corridor that prioritizes the health of our watershed, the natural aesthetics of our town, and the safety of our community. Please stay tuned for additional announcements about this effort over the coming months.

For more information, please contact the Town’s Chief Arborist and Horticulturist, Jim Osborn at josborne@frontroyalva.com.