Deborah Westbrooke is the Executive Director of WSGA and is the author a previous post on several projects her organization was supporting for development
As the new Region Forward Coalition begins to focus on implementing the recommendations of Region Forward, the Washington Sustainable Growth Alliance (WSGA) recommends that meaningful milestones and measures be developed to track our progress towards regional goals in areas of land protection, open space, recreation, natural cultural and historic resources. These resources are the focus of the WSGA’s Call to Action, an annual list of critical regional conservation initiatives that need immediate action in order to succeed.
On April 27, WSGA issued its annual Call to Action report, which makes it clear that public access to natural lands, multi-use trails, and preservation of our cultural and natural resources are urgently needed both in urban areas as well as the region’s farther reaches.
Topping the list of priorities for 2011 is the opening of Featherstone Wildlife Refuge to the public, a current goal of the Prince William Conservation Alliance. This regional and national resource has been in public hands for 40 years, but has never been open for everyday citizens to enjoy. The preliminary findings of the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) indicate that passive uses such as photography, hiking on developed trails, and fishing in designated areas would not conflict with wildlife values. If this goal is to be realized, USFWS must recommend the public access option without reservation in their final conservation plan for the refuge.
The Refuge is a potential alignment of another urgent priority for the region, the Potomac Heritage Trail. This remarkable trail links many significant historic resources in the region – including George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate – and is a key link in a regional network of trails. Yet, despite the best efforts of public and private agencies and organizations, the trail still has significant gaps in southern Fairfax and Prince William Counties. The goal of trail developers like the Potomac Heritage Trail Association is to develop a scenic trail as close to the Potomac River as possible. This requires acquisition of adequate off-road right-of-way, which can be difficult in a highly urbanized region. We recommend development of a scenic multi-use trail that will attract both the support of volunteer trail developers as well as a variety of users.
Completion of the link between the Capital Crescent Trail (rendering above) and the Metropolitan Branch Trail (photo below) at the new Transit Center in Silver Spring is another top conservation priority for the region. The completed trail system will circumnavigate D.C. from Union Station to the National Mall. Within the District, both trails have made great progress toward the vision of a completely off-road trail system. The remaining links to Silver Spring will be responsibility of the Maryland Transit Association and the Montgomery County DOT. WSGA joins trail supporters such as Purple Line Now!, the Coalition for the Capital Crescent Trail, and the Washington Area Bicyclist Association in recommending that the completion of the trail project remain a high priority for these agencies.
Three projects to preserve the rural landscape of Virginia’s northern piedmont reflect the urgent need for land preservation in Loudoun County, an area of recent high growth in our region. One is the newly discovered Unison Battlefield in Loudoun County, which experts have called one of the best preserved 19th century rural landscapes in Virginia. With funding from the National Park Service’s American Battlefield Protection Program, the Unison Preservation Society has documented the significance of the battle and the integrity of the battlefield. In April 2011, the Society nominated the battlefield historic district for listing on the Virginia Landmarks Registry and the National Trust for Historic Places. Historic designation will help encourage landowners to protect this pristine area as a living resource in their community.
A second Loudoun initiative would create the first ever state park for the county, which could address urgent recreational and environmental needs of northern Virginia. This goal, supported by the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust, the Piedmont Environmental Council, and the Loudoun County Supervisors, may now be within reach, if sufficient funding can be found to purchase a large parcel of land in southeastern Loudoun County that has recently become available. The land is within the Bull Run Headwaters, an area with both cultural and environmental significance for the region.
A third Loudoun project that needs action now to take advantage of land acquisition opportunities is Gilbert’s Corner, at the intersection of US Hwy 50 and US Hwy 15, which is widely considered to be Northern Virginia’s gateway to the piedmont. Past efforts by public and private organizations such as the Piedmont Environmental Trust and the Northern Virginia Park Authority have saved the site from a massive four-laning project and preserved some of the surrounding landscape, but more land needs to be preserved if the project is to reach its highest potential. The alliance supports the effort to take advantage of this timely opportunity.
Supporters of the listed projects can obtain print copies of the booklet by contacting Deborah Westbrooke at conservation@sgalliance.org. The alliance will soon be planning its Fall Conservation Summit to launch the 2012 Conservation Priorities Program, and representatives of business, environmental and civic organizations are invited to participate. For more information about the program, to nominate a conservation priority for 2012, or download the 2011 report, see the Conservation Priorities web page at www.sgalliance.org/rcpl.html.