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2003 News Archive Fairfax Trails and Streams E-news May 14, 2003 Dranesville Winners Foust and Dubois to speak at FTAS summer meetings In November, the choice for Dranesville Supervisor will be between Joan Dubois, Republican, and John Foust, Democrat. Both kindly sent their answers to our trails questionaire, which was published here May 9. John Foust will be our guest at the June 23 FTAS meeting Joan Dubois will be our guest at the July 28 FTAS meeting We can share ideas and ask questions with both of the candidates. FTAS booth at McLean Day May 17 FTAS volunteers will staff a booth at McLean Day, May 17 at Lewinsville Park. Come visit us for Pimmit Run maps, Cross County Trail brochures and FTAS bumper stickers, and to talk trails and streams! 2003 National Trails
Day Events Fairfax Trails and Streams is co-sponsoring two
innovative National Trails Day hikes on planned routes for the
Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail (PHNST) in Northern Virginia,
June 7 and 8, 2003. Both hikes mostly follow well-established
trails but are "works in progress"-each includes (a) a section
open by special permission but not yet open to the general public,
(b) a major stream crossing over boulders and (c) a scramble
through woods without a trail. NTD HIKE # 1 Town of Occoquan
to Lake Accotink Hike (12 miles): This is the first public hike
along the planned Laurel Hill Greenway through the former Lorton
Prison site. It completes the 4th and final 12-mile leg of the
Ultimate Cross County Hike begun National Trails Day 2002, which
traverses Fairfax County south to north from Prince William
to Loudoun. We gather at Lake Accotink and take a shuttle bus
($5 suggested donation) to our starting point in the historic
Town of Occoquan. There will be brief opening ceremonies with
Supervisor Gerry Connolly (Fairfax Co.), Chairman Sean Connaughton
(Prince William Co) and Mayor Patricia M. Conway of Occoquan.
We hike across the Occoquan River on the old footbridge and
proceed up the marked bike route, cross Rt. 123 and climb on
a newly-marked natural surface trail to the Regional Park's
Ridge Trail, and descend to the abandoned railroad that will
become the Laurel Hill Greenway portion of the PHNST. At the
prison site, the KSI Corp. will outline its plans for building
and landscaping this section of the trail around the future
high school, and for building a new section of the PHNST from
the Greenway that follows Pohick Creek eastward under I-95 and
the railroad bridge through Lorton Town Center, with a link
to the VRE railroad station. Our hike continues north, crosses
Silverbrook Road and follows the future route of a proffered
trail by Pulte Corp. (through housing construction and then
a wooded preserve). At Pohick Road we reach the milepost marking
the southern terminus of the Cross-County Trail (the starting
point of all previous Fairfax Cross-County Hikes), and follow
that trail 7 miles to Lake Accotink. NTD HIKE # 2 Algonkian Park to Riverbend
Park Hike (5 or 12 miles): This is the first public hike from
Loudoun County's Algonkian Park into Fairfax County. There will
be a brief opening ceremony at Algonkian Park, at which we expect
some of the Loudoun Co. supervisors. The hike follows a proposed
route for the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail through
a wooded lot recently acquired as public parkland, and a public
trail easement south of the Lowes Island Golf Course, into Seneca
Park. A shuttle will ferry hikers back to Algonkian who wish
to hike only 5 miles. The next 7 miles pass through some of
the most remote land in Northern Virginia. Volunteers from the
sponsoring groups rebuilt in 2002 a large section of our route
using heavy side-hill cutting. We cross the innovative Clarks
Run Bridge, built by the Fairfax Co. Park Authority in 2002.
The Great Falls Trailblazers will provide a cookout at Riverbend
Park to all who finish this hike. NTD CROSS-COUNTY TRAIL HORSE RIDE Colvin Run to Riverbend Park Horse Ride: Sunday June 8. 9am This year the Clifton Horse Society, the Great Falls Trailblazers, and the Hunters Valley Riding Club will join forces for a ride in the Great Falls area. For full details please contact Robin Rentsch at robrentsch@aol.com or beverlyd@spectrum-systems.com, or forhorses@erols.com. CELEBRATE NATIONAL TRAILS DAY AT LAUREL HILL Celebrates our rich resource of recreational trails. Join the Fairfax County Park Authority and Fairfax Trails and Streams at the former medium security Occoquan facility on Route 123 Saturday June 7 at 10:00 a.m. for the unveiling of the first Cross County Trail sign south of South Run. Following the unveiling, we will walk along the preliminary route of the Laurel Hill Greenway from the medium security facility to the maximum security redevelopment area and return. The distance is approximately 3.2 miles round trip. As we walk between the Occoquan workhouse and the old central max facility, we will see the old green barn (circa 1920), the historic ballfield, the brick barrel bridge, the penitentiary wall, and Giles Run. For additional information or directions click here or call Jenny Pate at 703-324-8726.
Other Events:
HIGHLIGHTS HIKE 1 HIGHLIGHTS HIKE 2 Cancelled
due to impassable conditions HIKE DETAILS DETAILS HIKE # 1 DETAILS HIKE # 2
Cancelled due
to impassable conditions
Fairfax Trails and Streams E-News June 7 REPORT FROM SATURDAY'S HIKE There we joined about twenty more hikers at an opening ceremony sponsored by the Fairfax County Park Authority. Gerry Connolly, Tom Davis and Bill Niedringhaus unveiled the first Cross-County Trail signpost south of Pohick Road. FCPA's Doug Peterson, Jenny Pate and Scott Sizer led the way, pointing out interesting historic sites on the property and details about the future trail. We climbed to the top of a guard tower overlooking the prison. We then used the bus once more to skip about five impassable miles of the CCT (hence, we have still not quite completed the Ultimate Cross County Hike, but we will!). We resumed at the Parkway and were in pretty good shape till Old Keene Mill Road. Then the steady rain almost, but not quite, defeated us. We had to find creative ways to get across rain-swollen tributaries--some no more than a trickle ordinarily. By this time we were all so drenched that no one bothered avoiding any puddles less than five inches deep. But everyone maintained good spirits, helped each other out, and in the end, wanted to go on more Cross-County Hikes. SUNDAY HIKE CANCELLED
Fairfax Trails and Streams E-news June 20, 2003 JUNE MEETING: Mon. June 23, 7:30 pm at McLean Govt Center, 1437 Balls Hill Rd GUEST: John Foust (D), candidate for Dranesville Supervisor We'll hear John's views, discuss his answers to our trail questions (see our 1st e-news in May), and he'll answer our questions. Also, we'll discuss the latest news on the Pimmit Run and Cross County Trails. Next month (July 28, 7:30pm, same place), our guest will be Joan DuBois (R), who is running against Foust for Dranesville Supervisor
Fairfax Trails and Streams E-news July 20, 2003 TRAIL FUNDS SLASHED IN CONGRESS: PLEASE PROTEST!!! The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation and Treasury has voted to completely eliminate for Fiscal Year 2004 the Transportation Enhancements Program (aka "TEA-21"), the largest source of federal source of funding in support of trails, pedestrian and bicycling facilities. In Fairfax County, this funding is crucial to building the Cross-County Trail, the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail and other major trails. Since 1992, the Transportation Enhancements Program has provided over $141 million to 730 projects statewide, supplementing over $169 million in matching contributions that have been raised from other sources. The fund-matching aspect of the program enables otherwise limited local resources to be leveraged for community-based projects that are critical to the safety and health of families and individuals. ACTION TO TAKE: If your representative is Frank Wolf or Jim Moran, both on the subcommittee, please call and ask to restore full funding for the Transportation Enhancements Program. Constituent calls to Tom Davis's office will also be helpful. All calls 202-224-3121. The vote, originally scheduled for Monday 7/21, was postponed, but please get your calls in early this week. ALGONKIAN-RIVERBEND HIKE RESET FOR AUG.23 Our 12-mile National Trails Day hike along a beautiful proposed route for the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail, cancelled due to flooding June 8, has been rescheduled for August 23. Sponsors include FTAS, Potomac Trail Council, Riverbend Park, Loudoun Parks and Rec, and No. Va Regional Park Authority. More info: sadiqi53@aol.com FAIRFAX INCREASES PROTECTION FOR STREAM VALLEYS Fairfax County recently took a major step in expanding protections for stream valleys from many kinds of development. The new protections extend, for instance, to fragile upper reaches of streams not previously considered "perennial". A letter in support of the protections, written by Bob Jordan of the Potomac River Greenways Coalition, appears below. Additional opinions (pro and con) can be found at http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A55863-2003Jul1¬Found=true JULY 28 MEETING: GUEST: JOAN DUBOIS Our next meeting is Monday, July 28, 7:30 at the McLean Govt Center, 1437 Balls Hill Rd, McLean. Our guest is the Republican candidate for Dranesville supervisor, running against John Foust, our guest in June. Joan has been our guest once before, in her capacity as Dranesville Zoning commissioner. She has hiked the length of Pimmit Run with FTAS and has promised active help with Pimmit Run rights of way. We will discuss her answers to our May questionnaire, and trail planning in general. FTAS will not meet in August; our next meeting is Sept 22, same time and place. Excerpts from Letter from PRGC's Bob Jordan to Supervisor Kate Hanley, dated June 23 Re: Revised Chesapeake Bay Preservation Ordinance I am writing to you on behalf of the Board of Directors of the Potomac River Greenways Coalition, Inc. to urge adoption of the proposed revisions to the ordinance that are contained in the draft forwarded to the BOS by the Planning Commission. These proposed revisions will increase protection for streams throughout the county. They will also include a better process for review for any requested exceptions to the Ordinance, acceptance of a new protocol for remapping the streams, along with increased protection for the upper reaches of many Fairfax County streams. The proposed revisions have been made through a thorough consultative process with a wide variety of interested stakeholders. We understand that some members of the development community have recently asked for special exemptions from the ordinance for IDAs. We urge that the changes to the ordinance be passed as drafted and endorsed by the planning commission. Any further substantive changes should not be considered at this time. However, if further substantive changes are considered in the future, they should be considered only if a formal public comment period. With reference to IDAs, it is important to note that redevelopment in these areas offers the opportunity to properly address stormwater problems by the use of innovative and creative "retrofits" that will help move Fairfax County stormwater management practices from the 1970's to the 21st Century. Thank you very much for considering our request. Bob Jordan, PRGC
Fairfax Trails and Streams E-news August 20, 2003 CALENDAR: Hike - Algonkian to Riverbend: Saturday Aug 23 9am. 3.5 or 12 miles. This historic hike, the first from Loudoun County's Algonkian Regional Park into Fairfax County, follows a likely route for the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail. The first segment includes about a mile of trail just cleared last week. Postponed National Trails Day, June 8, due to rain, this hike passes through some of the most remote land in Fairfax County. Sponsors: No Va Regional Park Auth, Loudon Parks and Rec, Fairfax Co Park Auth, Potomac Trail Council, Gt Falls Trailblazers (GFT), PRGC, Equestrian Trail Alliance, Fairfax Trails and Streams. Loudoun Parks is providing water and transportation to start at the 3.5 mile point. GFT invites you to a cookout at Riverbend, at end of hike. Directions: From Tysons, Rt 7 west to Algonkian Pkwy north, continue to Gt Falls Shopping Center (on the left) where the hike begins at Dunkin Donuts 9am. Information: call Karen at 703 450 7098 or sadiqi53@aol.com |
