Despite taking a direct hit, this cabin in Prince William Forest Park in northern Virginia stood up to the tree/NPS

Heavily forested Prince William Forest Park took it on the proverbial chin during last weekend's winter storm, with gusting winds downing hundreds of trees. Crews have cleared more than 600 fallen and hazardous trees in the days following that storm. Late this week employees continued to clear damaged trees and debris, restore downed power lines, and repair damaged historic buildings across the park.

The park remains closed, and it could be two or three weeks before it reopens to the public, as damaged trees and downed power lines continue to pose a threat to visitors, and current conditions would make any search and rescue efforts extremely difficult, according to the National Park Service.

An Incident Command Team arrived at Prince William Forest Park on Wednesday, and was coordinating efforts to assess and address storm damage throughout the park’s 14,000 acres. Sawyers from nearby Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park were also onsite to help remove hazardous trees.

Park Service crews were making great progress in clearing trees from roads and trails near the visitor center. Park administrators hope to begin reopening limited areas of the park once they are deemed safe. The Prince William Forest RV Campground on Rt. 234 remains open, but some areas within the campground are currently closed off.

Many of the hundreds of trees downed by a winter storm will be repurposed in Prince William Forest Park for everything from mulch and firewood to planks for restoration work/NPS

What are the crews doing with the downed trees they remove? Lots:

Mulch: Crews are chipping fallen trees and leaving most of the mulch alongside roads where it can decompose and return nutrients to the soil. Some of the mulch will be used in camps and campgrounds as pathways in heavily trafficked areas.

Firewood: Sawyers are gathering and chopping fallen trees into firewood for use within the park at campgrounds.

Restoration: Fallen trees will play a key role in the future restoration of historic buildings, including those constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930s. Using a similar method as the CCC, park employees will use a mobile bandsaw to cut wood into planks. These planks can be used to repair damaged walls in historic buildings across the park.

Habitat: Fallen trees will be dispersed throughout the park, allowing nature to reclaim the logs and provide shelter for plants and wildlife.

Prince William Forest Park protects unique natural, cultural and historic features and provides opportunities to hike, camp, bike, and more in northern Virginia.