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Lots of treasures at Crow's Nest--ecological and otherwise Date published: 7/30/2006
By RUSTY DENNEN NOW THAT Stafford County aims to acquire a good chunk of the Crow's Nest peninsula through eminent domain, what would it get for its trouble? The swath of forest and marsh between Potomac and Accokeek creeks has often been described as an environmental jewel, with connections to important historical events. What's really out there is detailed in two studies documenting ecological and historic resources at Crow's Nest. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service released an environmental assessment of the peninsula in 2000 as part of an unsuccessful effort to create a 7,480-acre national wildlife refuge. The refuge would have included Crow's Nest and several thousand surrounding acres. That study identified rare plant and animal species, noting that over the years landowners for the most part have been passive caretakers because much of the property is carved by deep ravines. Greg Weiler, manager of the Potomac River National Wildlife Refuge Complex in Woodbridge who worked on the report, said earlier this week that the attention showered on Crow's Nest by local, state and federal interests illustrates just how important the land is. "I was very disappointed when the service was unable to follow through and acquire the property," he said. At one point the tract was No. 1 on the agency's property-acquisition wish list for the region. The peninsula is important for several reasons, he said. "One is the size and acreage. Where else in Northern Virginia are you going to find a 3,000-acre chunk of land that's available?" "And you have a mix of habitats, from upland hardwoods to marsh and the creeks. It's not just one monoblock, and with each, there's significant acreage." He notes that there are no structures, paved roads or urban contamination issues common with other large tracts of land in the region. Rare blend of forest, marshIn an analysis of vegetation and habitat, the report says the forest blanketing most of the land is unusual. Though it's unknown how much of the original forest remains, trees over 4 feet in diameter are not uncommon.
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