[BSW] Two stalwart local environmental organizations working hard defending native forest, trees, wetlands, and wildlife - please support them! (fwd)

[Kathy Bilton]

>From Rod:

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sun, 21 Oct 2018 23:24:44 -0400
From: Rod Simmons <simmons22041 at gmail.com>
Subject: Two stalwart local environmental organizations working hard defending
     native forest, trees, wetlands, and wildlife - please support them!

Two stalwart local environmental organizations are working hard defending
wetlands, forests and native tree canopy, critical wildlife habitat, and our
dwindling natural resources - please support them!

The following are easy ways you can help support these good folks (also links to
them from state organizations like MNPS, VNPS, and others):

Environmental Council of Alexandria:


Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Please send your name to Andrew Macdonald at ahmacdonald at mac.com if you wish to
sign the letter that the Environmental Council of Alexandria will send to the
Virginia Dept. of Environmental Quality (DEQ) asking them to reject the City's
permit to fill in the wetlands at Potomac Yard, and to hold a public hearing on
the matter.

At least 100 signatures are urgently needed on our letter, so please consider
signing.  One does not need to be an Alexandria resident to sign the letter. 
Spouses and partners to be listed as separate signatories. 

Additionally, be sure to like us on Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/ECA2018/ 

If you have any questions, please call or email Andrew Macdonald:
ahmacdonald at mac.com 

(603) 512 9379

Sincerely,

ECA Board Members:

Andrew Macdonald 
Katy Canady
Vineeta Anand
Jeremy Flachs
Erin Winograd
Hal Hardaway



Arlington Tree Action Group - http://arlingtontreeactiongroup.org : 

"John Vihstadt underscored the seriousness of the loss of Arlington’s tree
canopy by getting out of County Staff the statistic that equivalent of the
Pentagon’s footprint (~29 acres) is lost in Arlington to impervious surface
every 3-4 years."

-----Original Message-----
From: JH7 
To: Josh Handler 
Sent: Sat, Aug 4, 2018 9:27 pm
Subject: Upton Hill - NOVA Parks Ignoring Natural Resource Inventory
Recommendations; Who is Misleading Whom? July 14 County Board Meeting; Twitter -
Update

Dear Friends,

At the July 26 Urban Forestry Commission meeting somebody mentioned approvingly
that NOVA Parks had referred to a natural resource inventory of the park in
developing its plans.  The natural resource inventory that most refer to is one
done in 2007 by Arlington County and given to NOVA Parks.  A FOIA request to
NOVA Parks led to a copy just arriving.  NOVA Parks’ plan is contrary to the key
recommendations of the inventory report, which say under Management
Recommendations:
 
“Based on the data collected for this survey, and field observations at the
site, the following natural resource management recommendations are offered.
  1. Tree Protection. Documented large trees at the site should be protected from
     future park development or redevelopment, including the construction of
     facilities and trails.
  2. Champion Trees. Documented champion trees should be periodically monitored
     for health and protected from development. It was noted by the field team
     that in at least two locations, park staff or contractors have stacked piles
     of vegetative debris close to the base of large trees, including the
     runner-up County Champion Pignut Hickory. Allowing heavy vehicles to drive
     within the drip-line (crown spread) of a tree can cause unseen damage to the
     root structure. It is recommended that a central debris collection site be
     established somewhere in the park in an already disturbed and open site.
  3. Protection for significant plant communities and rare plants / features. The
     Acidic Seepage Swamp and associated vegetation represent the most
     ecologically sensitive natural feature within the park. Two short-term
     threats are evident to the continued existence of the high quality remnant
     wetland — generalized invasive plant infestation and storm water erosion….” 
The new parking lot and road for the playground in the lower park that NOVA
Parks plans to build abuts the RPA that contains the acidic seepage swamp, the
most ecologically sensitive feature.  Construction and stormwater runoff could
degrade it or even ruin it.  The whole report plus maps and some photos from it
is on www.friendsofuptonhill.org at: https://sites.google.com/view/friends-of-upton-hill/home/spoiling-natural-resou
rces.
 
On the theme of information and recommendations, NOVA Parks wrote a letter to
Nextdoor.com seeking to clarify the “mis-leading” information about the project
that is circulating.  We responded that NOVA Parks just continues to muddy the
waters on the impact of what is being cut and replanted, and the Sun Gazette
continues to mis-report that neighboring communities support the project in its
current form – which is not the case.  Some people in those communities do – and
some don’t.  See: https://sites.google.com/view/friends-of-upton-hill/home/who-is-misleading-whom
.
 
July saw a lot of other activity in Arlington to save our trees.  ATAG and
Friends of Upton Hill appeared before the County Board on July 14 to defend the
red dawn and the many trees that NOVA Parks will cut down at Upton Hill Park for
its “renovations.”  Please see www.friendsofuptonhill.org for the list of latest
developments.   At the County Board meeting, John Vihstadt underscored the
seriousness of the loss of Arlington’s tree canopy by getting out of County
Staff the statistic that equivalent of the Pentagon’s footprint (~29 acres) is
lost in Arlington to impervious surface every 3-4 years.  NOVA Parks’ plans will
make a notable contribution to that.  See:https://sites.google.com/view/friends-of-upton-hill/home/stop-paving-over-arlin
gton.
 
The County permit process for Upton Hill still seems to be ongoing, so let us
hope all come to their senses soon and this ugly project gets turned into
something more appealing.  The project needs cutting back, not the trees.
 
Friends of Upton Hill is now on Twitter.  Prove NOVA Parks wrong.  At least four
of you may have a Twitter account and can follow us.  There likely won’t be too
many tweets over the few weeks, but if we don’t succeed, we will be tweeting
about the clear-cutting Arlington style going on at Upton Hill in the fall. 
Also, look for the ATAG booth at the Arlington County Fair 15-19 August. 
 
Thanks again for everybody’s support!
 
www.friendsofuptonhill.org
 
https://twitter.com/FriendsUH
 
 
https://i2.wp.com/treestewards.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/2011-02-26-arl-ridge-3.jpg?resize=640%2C480
Clear-Cutting Arlington-Style