Alexandria officials are working to get to the root of the problem — literally — as they battle the ongoing influx of spotted lanternflies.
The city is among those across Northern Virginia working to cull tree-of-heaven, a tree species that serves as a host to the spotted lanternfly, an invasive pest that arrived in the U.S. from China in 2014 and has been wreaking havoc since.
Alexandria’s Natural Resources Division is introducing new leadership and a slate of upcoming community engagements in 2026.
The city has hired Raychel Frye and Katrina Napora as new natural resource managers, it announced yesterday (Wednesday), with Oscar Mendoza continuing to oversee the division as chief. Under the new leadership, Natural Resources will have a “renewed focus on education, stewardship, and community engagement.”
