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The day after relic hunters unwittingly trespassed on Crow's Nest, activists talk about preservation Date published: 10/29/2006
By JEFF BRANSCOME After a busy Friday night, a group of Crow's Nest activists gathered outside the land's gated entrance yesterday morning. They didn't denounce the relic hunters who unwittingly trespassed on the environmentally sensitive peninsula between Accokeek and Potomac creeks in Stafford County. But the chain of events, they said, illustrates the need to preserve the land. Activists said they hadn't seen any relic hunters on the land yesterday. "You could put 200 relic hunters on Crow's Nest for six weeks and they won't do as much damage as a bulldozer [would do] in one hour," said Glenn Trimmer, director of Friends of Stafford Civil War Sites. Up to 175 relic hunters from all over the country showed up early Friday morning for the Grand National Relic Shootout at Crow's Nest. They won't be charged with trespassing. Apparently, police said, a previous Crow's Nest caretaker gave them permission to be there. The man still has a key to the property's gate, Clark Leming, the landowner's attorney, said Friday. Someone will change the lock this week, said Leming, who could not be reached for comment yesterday. He said the former caretaker got a check from the relic hunt's organizers and signed a contract with them. Board of Supervisors Chairman Bob Gibbons stopped by yesterday's get-together and said the issue will probably end up in the court's hands. Stafford Sheriff Charles Jett on Friday said it's now a civil matter between the caretaker and the affected parties. Leming said he plans to find out why the former caretaker thought he had the authority to make such a deal. The event was scheduled to run through today. But at about 6 p.m. on Friday, Jett and several deputies watched the participants leave the property on Raven Road. Cecelia Kirkman, founder of the Save Crow's Nest preservation group, said the hunt ended abruptly because residents called county officials to complain. "Because of your outrage and your action, the property owner was forced to end the hunt," she said.
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