A new home in the midst of a $2 trillion rebuild is a real estate project.
But its the first of many.
As of last week, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began removing trees from the roof of the old Veterans Memorial Gardens in Washington, D.C.
The first tree removal was at the intersection of Seventh Street and Independence Avenue NW.
It was the latest in a series of moves to preserve the landscape as part of a long-term plan to make Washington, the capital of the United States, a greener, healthier place.
In January, the Army Corps announced a $300 million plan to add grass to the streetscape, along with green roofs and other green infrastructure, and to replace the iconic Washington Monument with a greenery-rich, greened plaza.
The project is now underway, but its not over yet.
The next phase of the restoration project will see the removal of nearly a million trees from public spaces, including the White House, the Capitol, the National Mall, the Ellipse and the National Historic Landmark, according to the Army.
But for now, the plan is for the first phase to begin in late summer.
The process of removing trees, as well as clearing the sidewalks, is already underway, with crews clearing the National War Memorial of trees and planting new grass.
In the meantime, the parks and historic districts around Washington are brimming with trees, including on the White house, the Statue of Liberty, the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, and the Pentagon.
The White House has had more than a few tree pruning operations this summer.
“We have a little more than 100,000 to 140,000 trees that we prune, and they are going to be on the ground for the next three years, so we are in good shape,” said Mike Gorman, the Whitehouse’s director of landscaping.
Gorman said that while he appreciates the efforts being made to preserve Washington’s landscape, it has not been enough to save the city.
“It’s been a long, difficult road,” he said.
Gammons work to clear the lawn and pave the roads is part of the Army’s plan to preserve its historic districts.
The park and historic district is the last part of D.c. that remains open.
The parks and district will remain open, however, until the Army and the Department of Transportation complete the rehabilitation of the Washington Monument.
The Army will remove the White Memorial’s iconic statue of a man leaning on a tree, as part the rebuilding effort.
The statue will then be moved to the Capitol.
