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2001 News Archive
April thru June

April | May | June

New trails funding

HIGHLIGHTS
Moran, Davis, Wolf propose $2.05 million for Cross-County, Pot. Heritage Trails
GFT wins $470,000 in State Scenic Byway funds for Georgetown Pike Trails
3 National Trails Day Events June 2: Accotink Creek, Difficult Run, Riverbend Park

VA Delegate Vince Callahan walks 6 miles with FTAS on Pimmit Run Trail
FTAS MONTHLY MEETING APRIL 23 (McLean Govt Ctr, 1437 Balls Hill Rd) 7:00pm----Pimmit Run Action Groups 7:30pm----main meeting; MCF award; Guest, VA Delegate Jim Scott At our March meeting there was a groundswell of interest in forming small action groups to address "to do's" for specific sections of the Pimmit Run Trail. So we will start our meeting early, at 7pm, to form the action groups, brainstorm and decide next steps. Bill Byrnes of the McLean Citizens Foundation will present FTAS's Steve Dryden with a $3000 award to develop a historical map of the Pimmit Run Valley. Our guest at 7:30 is Delegate Jim Scott, whose district includes Pimmit Run above Old Dominion. CALENDAR: April 18 7:30 pm Great Falls Trailblazers monthly meeting, eweck@earthlink.net

April 21 EARTH DAY, some events are: --- 9:30 am Gt Falls NP Geology Walk, eweck@earthlink.net --- 7 pm NVCT hosts Congr. Jim Moran in Arlington, $25, 703-536-4058; www.nvct.org
April 23 7pm FTAS monthly meeting
April 28 10am Lucy Hanes Trail walk, Gt Falls, with Supv. Mendelsohn, eweck@earthlink.net
May 5 9-1 Difficult Run Cleanup Day, Colvin Run Mill, 703-324-3408
May 28 7:30 pm FTAS monthly meeting
June 2 National Trails Day Events --- 10am-noon Ribbon cutting/Hike for new Cross-County section, Thaiss Park, Fx City --- 10am Hike in Riverbend Park on the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail --- 1pm Lake Audubon, Reston: Difficult Run Loop hike; new navigational signs

DETAILS
Moran, Davis, Wolf request $2.05 million for CCT, PHNST The three congressmen representing Fairfax County--Jim Moran, Tom Davis and Frank Wolf--have joined forces to propose $2.05 million in FY02 TCSP funding for the Cross-County Trail and the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail. This is more than double the amount from FY01, also supported by all three congressmen. They have acted partly in response to all your e-mail and calls last year! ACTION--Please thank them by phone or e-mail, and urge them to persevere with this request. WOLF's office: Jeff Gleason, 202-225-5136, geoff.gleason@mail.house.gov MORAN's office: Tim Aiken, 202 226 0015, jim.moran@mail.house.gov DAVIS's office: 202-225-1492, tom.davis@mail.house.gov

GFT wins $470,000 in State Scenic Byway funds for Georgetown Pike Trail The Great Falls Trailblazers recently won $470,000 in VA State Scenic Byway funds for the trail along Georgetown Pike in Great Falls and McLean. This would include a feasibility study for part of the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail between Great Falls Park and I-495, along or near the Pike. Congratulations to GFT for a job well done.

3 National Trails Day (NTD) Events June 2: Accotink Creek, Difficult Run, Riverbend Park An easy and fun way to show your support for trails is to show up at a NTD event. This year it is especially important to keep the momentum building. --- 10am Ribbon cutting/Hike for new Cross-County section, Thaiss Park, Fairfax City --- 10am Hike in Riverbend Park on the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail --- 1pm Lake Audubon, Reston: Difficult Run Loop hike (3, 6 or 12 miles); Details may change; more events may be added. Stay tuned for more information!

VA Delegate Vince Callahan walks 6 miles with FTAS on Pimmit Run Trail. Delegate Callahan, whose district includes the Run downstream of Old Dominion, gamely braved nine unimproved stream crossings and wet feet, but the weather was perfect and the Pimmit Run Valley clothed in glorious spring green. Paul and Jeannine Slattery offered our small group delicious snacks on his porch overlooking the valley. Mr. Callahan kindly offered to help us contact three of the "missing link" landowners along the way.

Fairfax zeroes FY02 Trail fund
Pim Segments "to do's" for Monday on web

ALERT: According to the April 18-24 Connection, Fairfax County plans to eliminate FY02 funding for walkways, which has been $1 million countywide for several years, and which provided seed money for trails FTAS has supported. With your grassroots support, these local funds have been supplemented with state and federal funds for such trails as the Cross-County, Georgetown Pike, Pimmit Run,and Potomac Heritage (as reported here 3 days ago!). Thus, we are in jeopardy of losing not only the local funds but also potential future matching grants. We also risk losing the positive momentum we have helped generate. The proposed budget would also eliminate a like amount for storm drainage projects to protect the quality of our streams. Please contact your supervisor to ask that these funds be restored. (contacts at http://www.co.fairfax.va.us/gov/bos/homepage.htm)

AGENDA for Monday, April 23, focuses on "TO DO's" for specific segments of the Pimmit Run Trail, posted at www.FairfaxTrails.org/pimmit/segments.html Location: McLean Govt Ctr, 1437 Balls Hill Rd 7:00pm----Pimmit Run Action Groups 7:30pm----main meeting; MCF award; Guest, VA Delegate Jim Scott

EARTH DAY (April 22) Events by region, see http://www.earthday.net/events/events-us.stm

VA State Sen. Janet Howell, whose district includes the entire Pimmit Run Trail and much of the northern Cross-County Trail, will be FTAS' guest at the June 25 meeting.

NTD Events June 2
Cleanups this weekend
FTAS May meeting change

HIGHLIGHTS
Final National Trails Day schedule on Cross-County Trail, June 2
2 Litter Cleanups on Difficult Run this weekend
More on request for $1.3 million funding for CCT
May FTAS meeting changed ... to Tuesday, May 29, 7:30 pm at Don Finberg's house in McLean. All are welcome, but please contact Don at dfinberg@aol.com or 703 442 8873. Topics: continued detailed planning for Pimmit Run Trail. The June meeting will return to our usual Monday time, June 25, 1437 Balls Hill Rd, McLean Govt Center.

DETAILS
Final National Trails Day schedule on Cross-County Trail, June 2. The Fx Co Park Auth. will erect navigational signs with the new CCT logo, along all three routes by June 2.
--- 8 - 10 am. Hike along southern 3 miles of the CCT, Pohick Creek from Rolling Rd. to the Fx Co Pkwy. Car shuttle. Organized by Clifton Horse Society, FTAS. Please contact Mary Presta, frankmar10@aol.com.
--- 10:15 - 11:30 am: Ribbon cutting and short (1 mi) hike along new section of the CCT, including an Accotink Creek trail crossing. Park at Rt 50 & Nutley St. Organized by Fx Co Park Auth., Fairfax City, FTAS. Info: Bill Niedringhaus at rowemm@aol.com, or just show up.
--- 1:30 pm: 3, 6, or 12 mile hike on the CCT (optional Difficult Run Loop). Park at Twin Branches Road at Lake Audubon, Reston. Organized by FTAS. Info: John Taggart, 703 521 4523, Jtagga@co.arlington.va.us, or just show up. Several other NTD events are planned locally, including a Great Falls Trailblazers hike on the Pot. Heritage NS Trail at 10am (info eweck@earthlink.net); see www.americanhiking.org for details.

2 Litter Cleanups on Difficult Run THIS WEEKEND Two groups will clean up litter this weekend, BOTH start at Carpers Farm Road, just across Route 7 from Colvin Run Mill, 4 miles west of the beltway. SATURDAY May 6, 9 am -1pm cleanup Colvin Run (Difficult Run Community Conservancy) info Mary Ashton at 703-324-3408 or 703-620-6075 SUNDAY May 7, noon: cleanup along the Cross-County Trail (Johns Hopkins Univ volunteers).

More on request for $1.3 million funding for CCT The request made by Congressmen Davis, Moran and Wolf, on behalf of FCPA, for $1.3 million in TCSP funding for the CCT, would provide for the first time funding for all remaining segments of the CCT--including the Oakton sections with right-of-way issues unresolved. Please support the request (see details on our website, www.mindspring.com/~potomacgreenways/)

www.FairfaxTrails.org opens
CCT Brochures
May Meeting
National Trails Day
Volunteers needed

NEWS
Our new domain is now open!!! It's www.FairfaxTrails.org We are partway through a major upgrade to our website.

CCT Brochure Published. The FCPA published a 11x17" 6-panel color CCT brochure on May 20. It explains the benefits of the trail and reasons to support it. It credits FTAS key role in conceiving and helping create the CCT.

Volunteer needed for NTD June 2. The manager of the W&OD Trail has offered FTAS a booth at their National Trails Day exhibit in Reston. We need 1 or 2 volunteers to staff it (9 to noon).

REMINDERS
May FTAS meeting changed to Tuesday, May 29, 7:30 pm at Don Finberg's house at 6540 Devine Street, McLean. All are welcome, but please contact Don at dfinberg@aol.com or 703 442 8873. CCT brochures available. Topics include continued detailed planning for Pimmit Run Trail. Directions: down Westmoreland from Chain Bridge Road; 2nd left to Old Chesterbrook Rd, soon after Pimmit bridge right on Dempsey to end, right on Devine to cul-de-sac. The June meeting will return to our usual place/time, Mon June 25.

FTAS Nat. Trails Day EVENTS JUNE 2; CCT brochures available
8 - 10 am. Hike southern 3 miles of the CCT along Pohick Creek. Directions: Fx Co Pkwy. north from Rolling Rd to first light (at bottom of hill); left and immediate right; park along Hooes Rd. Car shuttle. Organized by Clifton Horse Society, FTAS. Please contact Mary Presta, 703 631 2074
10:15 - 11:30 am: Ribbon cutting and short (1 mi) hike along new section of the CCT, including an Accotink Creek trail crossing. Park at Rt 50 & Nutley St. Organized by Fx Co Park Auth., Fairfax City, FTAS. Info: Bill Niedringhaus at 703 821 0975, rowemm@aol.com, or just show up.
1:30 pm: 3, 6, or 13 mile hike on the CCT (optional Difficult Run Loop). Park at Twin Branches Road at Lake Audubon, Reston. Organized by FTAS. Info: John Taggart, 703 521 4523, Jtagga@co.arlington.va.us, or just show up.

Monday's meeting
NTD report

MONDAY's MEETING June 25 Our guest is VA State Senator Janet Howell. Her district includes all of Pimmit Run. We will discuss progress on several new initiatives from last month's meeting. The time and place revert to the usual (7:30pm at McLean Govt Center).

FTAS AT MID-ATLANTIC GOV's GREENWAYS CONF (Sept) FTAS will join the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club's "swat team", the Cadillac Crew, for a field workshop at the Mid-Atlantic Governor's Greenways Conference, Monday Sept. 17. We will relocate and regrade part of the CCT south of Lawyers Road in Oakton.

NATIONAL TRAILS DAY REPORT FTAS co-sponsored with FCPA three National Trails Day events along the CCT (our fourth consecutive year). A ribbon cutting for a new section of the Accotink Trail drew 100 people. There was a hike along the southernmost three miles, and a 13-mile Difficult Run Loop hike with 22 hikers and equestrians. The segments hiked now have dozens of attractive ivory-colored CCT navigational signs with red trim. Pictures will be posted at our website soon.

LISTBOT FOLDING (we must migrate) Our e-news server, Listbot, is folding. We must migrate to a new service this summer. Details TBA.