'Advocacy' Group: We Have To Destroy the Golf Course In Order to Save It (From the Scourge of Invasive Plants)

This map of the hordes of invasive species overrunning the Reston National Golf Course that we saw on Facebook this week looks pretty scary. We're not horticulturists or cartographers, but even we know that red = bad. Thank you, Reston National Neighborhood Study Group for providing this helpful Sponsored Content! Wait, what?

A recent proposal to establish a pilot program to remove invasive plant species around Reston National Golf Course is seen by some as a first step to garner support for redeveloping the land. 

Reston National Neighborhood Study Group, which is financed by golf course owners Weller Development Co. and War Horse Cities, began meeting last May with adjacent property owners and homeowner associations to discuss the invasive species problem. 

"This study group was formed and is paid for by the developer-owners of RNGC, whose ultimate goal is to develop all they can of the Reston National Golf Course," [Rescue Reston President Connie Hartke] said. "And the 'environmental experts' studying the tree canopy and invasive species issues also have been hired and are paid by the developers."

That can't be right, according to another piece of Nearly Sponsored Content provided to our BFFs at Reston Patch that says that these property developers just care about the health of Reston's tree canopy!

All of Reston, indeed most of Fairfax County, is facing some threat by non-native invasive plant species. The Reston National Neighborhood, however, has some uncommon characteristics that make it more vulnerable.

"Vulnerable" is one way of putting it, that's for sure. 

The Study Group has been biding its time, meeting with clusters adjoining the golf course for no other reason than its innate, bordering on irrational, hatred of invasive plants. Apparently some English Ivy creeped up and strangled the Study Group's long-time partner on his last day before retiring, and the Study Group vowed to avenge his memory, or something. Can't think of any other reason for this single-minded focus on invasive plans and tree canopy, especially since Hunter Mill Supervisor Walter Alcorn just reiterated that he won't support any changes to the comprehensive plan that would allow redevelopment of RNGC without the support of the neighborhoods that surround it -- the very same neighborhoods that apparently, and totally coincidentally, are about to be encircled and slowly choked off by invasive plants. It would be completely cynical to say that the flat roofs of dozens of mid-rise condominiums would provide a new and improved canopy impervious to the threat of invasive wisteria, but I'm sure someone is thinking it.

Alcorn also said the following:

"The owners are starting a little bit later and they're kind of in the middle of the public outreach... Basically, I want to give the opportunity for the Reston National owners to make their pitch and talk to the community," he said. "But I'm not going to let that go forever."

Anyhoo, if the thought of invasive plans damaging the tree canopy is keeping you up at night, feel free to stop by the group's meeting tonight! We certainly welcome efforts to "methodically eradicate the invasive plant species" and to protect our precious bodily fluids the tree canopy:

   

Sounds about right for a company named "War Horse," the end.