Think Globally - Act Locally!

November 4 Election:   Political campaigns for the fall election present a great opportunity to shape the nation’s conservation policy.  Volunteer in the campaign of the candidate of your choice and “educate” him or her on Northern Virginia’s conservation needs. 

To vote, you must be 18 by November 4 and must register by October 6. The deadline for applying for an absentee ballot is October 28 by mail and November 1 in person. 

 We urge you to consider candidates’ stances on important conservation and energy issues when deciding for whom to vote. 

• To learn the positions of our presidential candidates, visit www.johnmccain.com  and www.barackobama.com. 

• The League of Conservation Voters’ “Scorecard” is one way to get some insight into the environmental voting record of current office holders. See www.lcv.org/scorecard.

• For information on filed candidates, visit the Virginia State Board of Elections. 

• Virginia voter registration information is available at the State Board of Elections' site too.

Monitor Your Representatives: Check with your legislators and find out when they are having town meetings. Most of them have at least one a year and it is a great opportunity to carry the conservation message to them and hold them accountable. To find your state legislators, visit http://conview.state.va.us/whosmy.nsf/main?openform

 No Child Left Inside Act:  The National Audubon Society is part of a coalition supporting the “No Child Left Inside” legislation (H.R. 3036 and S. 1981), bills to address what some call children’s “nature deficit disorder.”  These bills would provide funds for more environmental education in elementary and secondary schools.  To learn more, visit http://www.cbf.org/site/PageServer?pagename=act_sub_actioncenter_federal_NCLB. 

ASNV thanks Virginia Congressmen Jim Moran and Bobby Scott for cosponsoring the bill.  As we went to press, neither Senator Jim Webb nor Senator John Warner was a cosponsor.  If you support environmental education, please let your Senators and Representative know.

Speak Up for Parks and More Habitat:  The Fairfax County Parks Association (FCPA) is accepting comments online through the summer at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/plandev/greatparks.htm.  Please visit the site and make you opinions known.

Vote for Parks in November:  Fairfax County will have a parks bond on the November ballot: $65 million for county parks and $12 million for regional parks.  The Park Authority is emphasizing stewardship (efforts to protect natural and cultural resources), renovation, land acquisition, and new facilities.  There is still an opportunity to recommend projects by contacting your FCPA Board member or your member of the Board of Supervisors.

Wetlands Restoration:  There are two exciting wetland restoration projects underway in Northern Virginia.  At Huntley Meadows, park officials are engaged in a wetland restoration project to foster and conserve biodiversity and environmental education. Ground-breaking is tentatively planned for late summer or early fall.  At Dyke Marsh, the National Park Service has begun the environmental impact statement process to prepare a restoration and management plan.  ASNV sent a letter urging restoration and preservation of habitat and native flora and fauna, with emphasis on managing habitat for the Marsh Wren, a bird found nowhere else in the Upper Potomac region.     

Protecting Fairfax Trees:  Thanks to our prodding, Fairfax County has included in its specifications for landscaping contracts a requirement that seeks to prevent “volcano” mulching.  Many landscapers pile up mulch around the trunk of trees, making it so tall and thick that rainwater cannot reach the tree’s base or roots.  Volcano mulching also invites insects, disease fungi, and small rodents.  Mulch  should be kept at least six inches from the base of the trunk.

 Fairfax County has set a goal of increasing its tree canopy to 45 %.  A county spokesman noted that it is currently at  41% and business as usual would take it to 37%.  Making up the difference will require planting about 2.5 million trees over the next 30 years.  To help get there, the county has passed the heritage/specimen/memorial tree preservation ordinance and is now writing a new tree canopy preservation ordinance, authorized by 2008 state legislation introduced by Fairfax’s Delegate David Bulova.

 Fairfax Releaf needs volunteers to help plant trees.  For more information, visit www.fairfaxreleaf.org/.

Get Involved::

Interested in working on conservation advocacy? Contact ASNV Advocacy Chair Glenda Booth at 703-765-5233 or gbooth123@aol.com.