FALLS CHURCH, Va. (7News) — The 7News I-Team learned Dominion Energy has not only cut down hundreds of trees along the Washington and Old Dominion Trail in Falls Church, Virginia, but also cut down dozens of trees in Vienna.

Last week, the 7News I-Team discovered Dominion Energy was planning on cutting down much more including thousands of trees along 33 miles of the 45-mile trail, and told 7News it's for the safety of its power lines.

Dominion Energy stopped cutting the trees after 7News started asking questions and catching the electric company on video downing tree after tree.

Dominion said its easement gives it the right to cut down the trees. Over in Falls Church, homeowners are devastated.

"This is the bike trail. This is where people run, walk, ride their bikes, and take their kids. It is a disaster and it's all Dominion that did it,” said Bonnie Jean Hammett whose home is right next to the trail.

"We've met with concerned residents and closely coordinated our work with the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority and local elected officials," one email read.

"The work we are doing along the W&OD trail is vitally important to protect the safety and reliability of the power grid. Providing safe and reliable electricity to our customers is our most important mission, and we take that obligation very seriously. It has been 20 years since we have done significant forestry maintenance along this transmission corridor. Since that time, the tree growth in the area has become an unacceptable risk to the safety and reliability of the grid. We have easements along the trail that allow us to maintain the trees and vegetation. Additionally, regulatory requirements for forestry maintenance have become more stringent. Failure to comply with these requirements could result in substantial fines and jeopardize the reliability of our customers’ electric service. We will not take that risk, and our customers should not either. We respect the public interest in the trail and the value it brings to the community. We have met with concerned residents and closely coordinated our work with the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority and local elected officials – and we will continue to do so. We have spoken with the Hammetts on numerous occasions. We have carefully listened to their concerns. We have explained in great detail all of the work that we are doing and the precautions that we are taking. We value their perspective and we are committed to continue working with Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority to find a solution that supports the trail’s natural habitat and environment, while also preserving low-growing native species in the area."

Dominion said over the last three months, it met with NOVA Parks on multiple occasions and added it has been very transparent.

"Nova Parks is against the level of cutting and the way the cutting is happening and the plan for restoration of the land,” said NOVA Parks Executive Director Paul Gilbert.

A second Dominion Energy email read, "We've been working collaboratively with NOVA Parks, Fairfax County, the Town of Vienna, and state legislative offices throughout this process."

"As a standard practice, Dominion Energy does not publicly share written agreements with localities and other organizations. The specific document you requested was a non-binding memorandum of understanding. It was a 20-year-old document that outlined intentions and goals for both parties at that time. It was specifically not a binding contract. There was a clause for either party to terminate the agreement at any time. Given our present-day context, and the essential importance of maintaining safe and reliable electric transmission, Dominion Energy terminated the MOU on 11/13/24. We have been working collaboratively with NOVA Parks, Fairfax County, the Town of Vienna, and state legislative offices throughout this process. As a regulated energy utility we are required to provide reliable service compliant with the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) reliability standards. To meet these standards, we determine appropriate vegetation management practices to maintain system reliability. Failure to comply with these standards can result in strict penalties. Our vegetation management practices ensure that we will not fail to meet our reliability requirements. Neighborhood distribution lines are regulated differently and are not as strictly governed. If trees appear to be touching power lines, they are likely in contact with phone or cable lines rather than Dominion Energy’s electric lines. However, please let us know the locations where trees appear to be touching lines and we will share with our tree trimming team and address if appropriate."

Fairfax County passed a resolution Tuesday against Dominion Energy's plan and said the cutting of the trees must stop. Arlington County and Loudoun County came to a similar position.

Vienna Mayor Linda Tolbert is also against the plan especially if Dominion Energy doesn’t replant trees.

"Oh, constituents are incredibly upset. Heartbroken. Feeling very betrayed. They lost trees in their backyards that have been there for centuries,” said Virginia House Delegate Seibold.

The Virginia lawmaker can't believe Dominion Energy cut down so many beautiful trees along the trail.

"We've worked with them. It doesn't mean we have a say or an opinion,” added Seibold.

"No, the word collaborate is where this message fails because it's not been a collaboration. It's not like us giving our opinions it's Dominion telling us what they are going to do,” said Seibold.

"We’ve been very transparent about our work along the W&OD Trail and continue to maintain a strong, decades-long relationship with NOVA Parks. In the last three months, we have met with NOVA Parks twice and our two field teams have had additional meetings that resulted in good collaboration. Our focus for the next two weeks is to complete the work on the section that involves Fairfax and Vienna. We will then pause our work, turning to a review of the remainder of the W&OD Trail. During that time, we will conduct a span-by-span review of the right of way and identify trees that need to be removed. Following this review, we will schedule another series of meetings with NOVA Parks and other interested parties. As mentioned before, Dominion Energy has the right to perform this work under our existing easement, which allows us to manage vegetation to maintain system reliability."