Virginia: property owners pay city for damage to James River Park - NRPA in Action

Richmond's Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities has received a check from Mark and Donna Romer for $34,000 to restore a section of the James River Park along Riverside Drive that the couple damaged in March 2003. The Romers were responsible for cutting down more than 64 trees and clearing the undergrowth on .63 acres of woodland property between the James River and Riverside Drive so they could have a better view of the river from their home. The property is part of the city's James River Park system, a series of public parks bordering the river that are owned and managed by the city of Richmond.

"Make no mistake that anyone who damages public park property in this manner will be held accountable," said Dinesh Tiwari, director of the city's Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities. "Cutting trees or shrubs on public property without permission is illegal. Furthermore, the James River Park is one of this city's most valuable assets, and as custodians and stewards of the city's parks, we intend to protect and preserve this park, as well as all of our city's parks, for the benefit of our citizens." The money will be used by the parks department to remove the debris from the damaged site and to plant and maintain new trees and shrubs. The 100-foot riparian buffer along the bank of the James will be restored according to guidelines established by the Chesapeake Bay Local Assistance Department for restoration of a buffer zone, while the remainder of the property will be restored on a tree-for-tree basis.

Tulip Poplars, Red Maples, River Birch and Persimmons are among the trees and shrubs that will be planted. The work is expected to begin in the early months of 2004. Once underway, the site cleanup and replanting should take approximately one month, but it could take about 50 years before the site returns to its previous condition. Following this incident, Richmond City Council passed an ordinance in April to make cutting down any tree on city property without the expressed written permission of the Director of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities a Class I Misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $2,000 and/or up to one year in jail for each tree destroyed. "The city of Richmond wants to make it absolutely clear that this type of destruction of public property will not be tolerated," said Tiwari.