Report Finds Coastal Bays Water Quality Degrading
Maryland Coast Dispatch; March 23 2007
Water quality in the coastal bays is getting worse, not better, reported Dave Goshorn of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Dave Blazer of the Maryland Coastal Bays Program (MCBP) to the Worcester County Commissioners Tuesday. “We have a lot of red flags going off,” said Dave Blazer, director of MCBP. Monthly water quality monitoring of the Atlantic Coastal Bays has shown a leveling off of improvement and even a decline in quality in some places, reported Goshorn. “This is a lot of relatively new information that's come forward,” said Blazer. “This is based on real data. This is on the ground. This is what we're seeing.”

House OKs developer fees
Baltimore Sun; March 21 2007
The House of Delegates approved new fees on development yesterday to pay for the Chesapeake Bay cleanup, a proposal advocates say would also help reduce urban sprawl. The measure would charge developers based on the creation of "impervious surfaces" such as rooftops, driveways and parking lots that cannot be penetrated by stormwater, thus contributing to runoff into the bay. Development outside designated growth areas would be assessed at a higher rate, and builders could mitigate the fees by using environmentally friendly construction techniques.

‘Chesapeake Club' targets homeowner use of fertilizer
Virginia Farm Bureau Federation; March 15 2007
Homeowners use up to 10 times more chemical pesticides per acre on their lawns than farmers use on crops, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. During a rain, part of the pesticides and fertilizers put on lawns can end up contaminating streams or wetlands dozens of miles away. That runoff has prompted an awareness campaign urging homeowners to help keep local rivers and streams—and, ultimately, the Chesapeake Bay —clean.

Keeping Pollution Out Of Rivers, Bay; Low-impact development techniques making inroads here
Rusty Dennen, Fredericksburg Free Lance Star; March 11 2007
As land in the Fredericksburg area is draped with asphalt and rooftops, less water is seeping into the ground. When it rains, ever-increasing amounts of pollution-laden water and soil wind up in storm drains, running into the Rappahannock and Potomac rivers.What if more of that water went back into the ground? What if engineers could reinvent the natural process by which a forest sucks up vast amounts of water while filtering out contaminants that harm the rivers and the Chesapeake Bay ? That's the aim of a growing movement called low-impact development that is changing the face of some of the largest commercial building projects in the Fredericksburg area.

Report calls for updating flood maps
Randolph E. Schmid , Associated Press; February 2, 2007 Maps being used to calculate flood danger in the United States rely on data that are decades out of date, according to a report that calls for a new national program to remap land levels.

Recycled-water plan advances; Water board proposes rules; goal is to protect Va. rivers and aquifers
Rex Springston, Richmond Times Dispatch; March 10 2007
A proposal to recycle used water in Virginia got an initial go-ahead yesterday. The State Water Control Board proposed rules for the program, which is aimed primarily at protecting Virginia 's rivers and aquifers. Under the program, treated wastewater -- the less-than-pure liquid that sewage-treatment plants normally dump into rivers -- could be rerouted for activities that don't require drinking water.

Chesapeake Bay Health Forum Emphasizes Political Action
Washington Post; March 8, 2007
Politicians, scientists and community members met Saturday at St. Mary's College of Maryland to discuss the health of the St. Mary's River and Chesapeake Bay . Discussions centered on how to create political will and action to improve water quality but still build affordable, desirable housing for Southern Maryland's projected population growth. Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler (D), elected in November on a platform pledging strict enforcement of environmental laws, was the keynote speaker.

Conflict Resolution Expert to Head EPA Office
Washington Post; March 7 2007
An expert in resolving environmental disputes has been appointed to head the Environmental Protection Agency office for the Chesapeake Bay , taking over a massive but underachieving cleanup effort. … Lape will replace Rebecca Hanmer, who is retiring March 18 after heading the office for five years. He will inherit a cleanup effort that is running behind schedule: Bay program officials recently said that they were not on pace to meet goals for a healthy bay by 2010.

Virginia crab's future in a pinch; As crabbing season nears, scientists and watermen hope for a resurgence of blue crabs.
Patrick Lynch, Daily Press; March 15 2007
… But as the commercial season is set to open on Monday, the hardy, resilient blue crab - the iconic bottom-dweller of the Chesapeake , still one of the bay's most valuable fisheries - remains stuck near historic low population levels.

Think spinach is scary? What about water?
Roanoke Times; October 5, 2006
… Illegal sewage discharges used to be thought of simply as an environmental problem that affected frogs and fish. But that was before recent studies at the EPA and UCLA showed that these sewage-related diseases are now a human health- care crisis of epidemic proportions. In California , UCLA professor Linwood Pendleton estimates that 1.5 million people got sick last year in the Los Angeles area from sewage-related bacteria. The EPA says nationally 3.5 million people get diseases every year from sewage-borne E. coli. And if one-tenth of 1 percent of them die, that's 3,500 deaths a year from sewage-related diseases.

County Is Losing Woodland To Builders; Report: 20,000 Acres Have Disappeared
David A. Fahrenthold, Washington Post; October 8, 2006
The Chesapeake Bay watershed is losing 100 acres of forest every day as development eats away at that crucial natural pollution filter, and more than a third of its wooded land could be gone by 2030, according to a new report. … In the Virginia suburbs, the largest losses of forest were in Fairfax County , which saw 25,000 acres, or 25.7 percent, disappear from 1984 to 2002; Prince William County , with 20,000 acres, or 16.8 percent; and Spotsylvania County , with 12,000 acres, or 6.5 percent.

Bay Program Ready to Study Less, Work More
David A. Fahrenthold, Washington Post; September 26, 2006
The Environmental Protection Agency program charged with cleaning the Chesapeake Bay has decided to reorganize itself, a spokesman said yesterday, conceding that crucial goals for restoring the bay's health by 2010 are unlikely to be met without far-reaching changes. Mike Burke, a spokesman for the 23-year-old Chesapeake Bay Program, said leaders want a greater emphasis on "implementation" -- carrying out plans to solve the bay's problems.

Upgrade to Indian Head Wastewater Treatment Is Launched; $14 Million Project to Cut Nutrient Pollution in Bay
Philip Rucker, Washington Post; October 8, 2006
The Maryland Department of the Environment officially broke ground last week on a $14 million renovation of a wastewater treatment plant in Indian Head, the latest of 66 facilities across the state that are slated to be upgraded under the 2004 Chesapeake Bay Restoration Act. Renovations will enhance the Indian Head plant's nutrient removal technologies, which environmental officials said would help reduce by more than half the levels of nitrogen and phosphorus discharged into waterways.

Officials Testify at Chesapeake Bay Program Reauthorization Hearing
Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments; May 4, 2006
On May 4, local, state, and federal officials provided testimony on H.R. 4126, the “Chesapeake Bay Restoration and Enhancement Act”, telling Congress that there is no way to clean up the Chesapeake Bay by 2010 as called for by the Chesapeake 2000 Agreement that was signed six years ago by the region's governors, state legislatures, and the EPA.

The Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment Hearing on The Chesapeake Bay Program Reauthorization and H.R. 4126, The Chesapeake Bay Restoration Act of 2005
Over the last ten years, $3.7 billion in direct funding has been provided to the Program from the federal government and the states. Of this, $972 million has been provided by the federal government. An additional $1.9 billion in indirect funding has gone to programs that improve the health of the Bay. Also in the last ten years, the EPA has provided $1 billion to Maryland , Virginia , and Pennsylvania through the Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund. EPA reports that some progress has been made in cleaning up the Bay, but many challenges remain. A Government Accountability Office report last year suggests that the reported improvements in the Bay may be overstated. To address the need to reauthorize the Chesapeake Bay Program, our Subcommittee colleague, Wayne Gilchrest has introduced H.R. 4126, the “ Chesapeake Bay Restoration Enhancement Act of 2005.” … The bill would reauthorize the Chesapeake Bay Program through 2011, with some modifications. H.R. 4126 would increase the accountability of the Program to achieve water quality goals and would increase the role of the local governments in Bay restoration. Also, the bill would increase authorized funding from $40 million to $50 million annually through 2011.

EPA Study Says American Streams in Trouble
Roddy Scheer, E-Magazine; May 17, 2006
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released some troubling findings last week from a four-year study on the condition of America 's streams. The agency concluded that 42 percent of the nation's shallow or "wadeable" streams were in poor environmental condition. Another 25 percent were considered only fair, leaving just 28 percent of streams in good condition. Perhaps not surprisingly, the streams that fared worst in the study were clustered primarily on the east coast, the most developed and crowded part of the country.

Suburban streams important to helping bay restoration
Alex Dominguez, Associated Press; May 24, 2006
Restoration efforts on streams in low density residential areas should yield the most nitrogen-reducing benefit for the Chesapeake Bay , a University of North Carolina researcher said Tuesday. … Getting the most nitrogen reduction from stream restoration also has large financial implications, Band said, noting Chesapeake Bay restoration is estimated to cost $18 billion and stream restoration in itself has become a multibillion dollar effort.

Ecosystem Health report paints sorry picture of Chesapeake; Graphs of data show no clear improvement trends for most of the parameters
Karl Blankenship, Bay Journal; May 2006
A new report on the health of the Chesapeake concludes that most of its water is “degraded,” critical habitats and food webs are “at risk” and many fish and shellfish populations are “below historic levels.” Overall, the “Ecosystem Health” report from the state-federal Bay Program paints a grim picture of the Chesapeake , showing the estuary is far away from goals set by the region's leaders to restore the Bay's water quality by 2010.

Oyster test will get closer look; U.S. Fish & Wildlife seeks Interior review of VA council's plan
Lawrence Latane, Richmond Times Dispatch; May 24, 2006
The federal government will take a closer look at a Virginia seafood-industry proposal to grow non-native oysters in the Chesapeake Bay this year. The decision yesterday comes after the discovery this month of a non-native ariakenksis oyster near Saxis Island on the Eastern Shore that was apparently left behind from a federally sanctioned test of the species in 2003.

No Shortcut to a Clean Chesapeake
Emily Saarman, Letters, Washington Post; May 28, 2006
Too much of a good thing can have unintended consequences -- even for a body of water. Excess nutrients are engorging this country's waterways, generating massive dead zones in some of the world's most valuable ecosystems, including the Chesapeake Bay . In the scramble for a solution, some regulators are casting about for quick fixes that, unfortunately, could cause more harm than good. In the Chesapeake , for example, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration and several state agencies are considering the mass introduction of an exotic oyster species to clean the bay's waters.

Plant's absence is a key indicator of health of Chesapeake Bay
Scott Harper, The Virginian-Pilot; May 26, 2006
Record-high water temperatures last July and August are blamed for wiping out huge swaths of eelgrass, the dominant plant in Virginia's half of the Bay. Water temperatures rose above 86 degrees for 30 percent of the summer – a lethal statistic, plant-wise. Also known as submerged aquatic vegetation, or SAV , such grasses provide vital habitat for baby crabs and fish, filter pollutants and sediments, breathe oxygen into waterways, and are staple foods for migratory waterfowl. While scientists are starting to see some recovery of grass beds this spring, they worry that another hot summer could be devastating to this canary-in-a-coal-mine species.

Bay's underwater grasses sprouting, but short of goals
Pamela Wood, Annapolis Capital; May 25, 2006
The acreage of vital underwater grasses in the Chesapeake Bay is increasing, but remains far short of cleanup goals, scientists announced this morning. Underwater grasses covered 78,260 acres of the bay and its rivers last year, an increase of 7 percent over 2004, according to a report released by the Chesapeake Bay Program, an Eastport-based joint program of federal and state governments. That acreage is just 42 percent of what the bay states hope to accomplish by 2010.

New EPA policy may put 111 Million Americans' Drinking Water at Risk Sue Mueller, foodconsumer.org; May 27, 2006
May 27 (foodconsumer.org) - Sierra Club, an environmental organization, released a report May 17 saying that more than 111 million Americans are subject to unhealthy drinking water because of the Environmental Protection Agency's policy to withhold Clean Water Act protections from headwater and seasonal streams. The report is based on EPA data, providing state-by-state information on drinking water supplies which rely, at least in part, on the small streams that are affected by the policy.

From the Source to the Tap: Why America's Drinking Water Sources are at Risk
Sierra Club; May 17, 2006
Headwater streams and wetlands — at risk because of the Bush administration's policy to withhold Clean Water Act enforcement — are critical to drinking water quality. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), over 90% of surface water protection areas (for surface water intakes used for drinking water) contain headwater or intermittent streams. Furthermore, the EPA estimates that more than 110 million people get their drinking water from public drinking water systems which use these intakes (as well as other sources).

Troubled Waters: An analysis of Clean Water Act compliance, July 2003- December 2004
U.S. PIRG Education Fund; March 2006
When drafting the Clean Water Act in 1972, legislators set the goals of making all U.S. waterways fishable and swimmable by 1983 and eliminating the discharge of pollutants into the nation's waterways by 1985. More than 30 years later, we are far from realizing the Clean Water Act's original vision. Using information provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in response to a Freedom of Information Act request, this report analyzes all major facilitiesa violating their Clean Water Act permits between July 1, 2003 and December 31, 2004, reveals the type of pollutants they are discharging into our waterways, and details the extent to which these facilities are exceeding their permit levels.

Stafford overlay plan advances; Planning commissioners send Water Resources Overlay District ordinance to supervisors with suggestions Meghann Cotter, Fredericksburg Free Lance Star; May 18, 2006 Time for the Stafford Planning Commission to amend a proposed wetlands protection ordinance has expired. But commissioners say they aren't convinced the current product will be the most effective way to limit pollution going into the Chesapeake Bay . They voted unanimously last night to refer the ordinance to the Board of Supervisors with suggested modifications. The ordinance, called the Water Resources Protection Overlay District, would require more and wider buffers around streams, especially those next to steep slopes and highly erodible soils. County officials plan to approve guidelines for water protection, then decide which properties will be impacted.

Kaine sets high goal for Va. land preservation
Calvin Trice, Richmond Times Dispatch; April 21, 2006
Virginia has agreed with other Chesapeake Bay states to protect 20 percent of the bay watershed from development by 2010. While Maryland and Pennsylvania have met the goal, Kaine said, Virginia is 358,000 acres short. The governor said he believes the state can achieve his ambitious land preservation goal with tax credits for landowners who voluntarily set aside land for nondevelopment and through the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation.

Virginia gets breathing room on bay menhaden limits
Associated Press; May 11, 2006
Virginia has until July 1 to comply with a cap on the industrial harvest of menhaden in the Chesapeake Bay . The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's Menhaden Management Board could have found the state out of compliance with a previous commission order to limit the catch. Wednesday, however, the board delayed any action until its August meeting.

Justices uphold states' rights in Clean Water Act decision; Ruling affects about 1,500 power dams in 45 states
David G. Savage, Baltimore Sun; May 16, 2006
The Supreme Court sided with the environment over electric power yesterday, ruling that state regulators may require a steady flow of water over power dams to benefit both fish and kayakers. The unanimous decision holds that states may protect the health of their rivers, even though hydroelectric power dams are regulated exclusively by the federal government.

Justices Back States in Clean Water Act Ruling
David Stout, New York Times; May 15, 2006
The Supreme Court ruled unanimously today that states have broad authority to regulate their streams under the federal Clean Water Act, even in situations that do not involve control of "pollution" in the strict sense of the word. … "The dispute turns on the meaning of the word 'discharge,' " Justice David H. Souter wrote for the court. He went on to write that Warren 's attempts to define the word to its own purposes were not persuasive. Justice Souter wrote that the Clean Water Act, while not strictly defining "discharge," specifies that the term means a discharge of pollutants, among other things. And why not just go to Webster's Dictionary, which defines "discharge," as applied to water, to commonly mean "flowing or issuing out," the justice suggested.

Power Outage Unleashes Raw Sewage
D'Vera Cohn , Washington Post; May 20, 2006
Seventeen million gallons of raw sewage spilled into the Potomac River yesterday after a three-hour power failure at the regional Blue Plains sewage treatment plant, with both the cause and impact of the accident in dispute. … it was the first total power failure at the plant, the region's largest, since 1992, when more than 17 million gallons of wastewater reached the Potomac.

Maryland Fails to Meet Bay Cleanup Goals
Connor Adams Sheets, Capital News service; March 17, 2006
The EPA now predicts that the states will collectively fail to meet certain C2K water quality initiatives by 2010. As a result, the federal agency revised its own water quality restoration plan, setting more attainable targets for the bay which will go into effect after the public comment period ends March 31. … As of 2005, only 39 percent of the C2K agreement's target - and, consequently, the existing EPA strategic plan's target - of restoring 185,000 acres of underwater bay grass throughout the bay had been achieved. Only 57 percent of the goal of full attainment of dissolved oxygen water quality standards in all of the bay's tidal waters had been reached. As a result of these shortfalls, the EPA wants to set its aim significantly lower for the two initiatives.

New bay-cleanup program proposed; Program would allow firms to trade credits as financial incentive to reduce pollution
Rex Springston, Richmond Times Dispatch; March 16, 2006
We have markets for food. We have markets for stock. Why not a market to buy a piece of the Chesapeake Bay cleanup? The State Water Control Board proposed regulations yesterday that would create such a market. Under the proposal, sewage-treatment plants and factories that reduce pollution more than the state requires can obtain credits they can sell to plants and factories that have trouble complying.

Chesapeake Bay stripers in trouble
Bill Cochran, Roanoke Times; March 16, 2006
Anglers were shocked the past weekend when news reports quoted Maryland officials who said that 75 percent of the striped bass in the Chesapeake Bay are infected with a wasting disease that can kill this popular fish and even cause a severe skin infection in humans. The epidemic is called mycobacteriosis and is the result of pollution, the officials said. The striped bass population has made a miraculous recovery, but scientists say the Bay is too polluted to support the level of life it once did.  

Chesapeake's Rockfish Overrun by Disease; Epidemic Hits Species Hailed for Revival, Then Weakened by Polluted Waters
Elizabeth Williamson , Washington Post; March 11, 2006
A wasting disease that kills rockfish and can cause a severe skin infection in humans has spread to nearly three-quarters of the rockfish in the Chesapeake Bay , cradle of the mid-Atlantic's most popular game fish. The mycobacteriosis epidemic could carry profound implications for the rockfish, also known as striped bass. The fish fuel a $300 million industry in Maryland and Virginia , but because the bacteria kill slowly, effects on the stock are only now emerging.

That'll Anacostia; A plan to spruce up D.C.'s Anacostia River has some residents anxious
Ethan Goffman, Grist Magazine; March 15, 2006
In the southeast corner of Washington , D.C. , the capital of the most powerful nation in history, lies a polluted, neglected neighborhood known as Anacostia. Slated for a grand renewal project centered on the local river that gives it its name, the area stands at the juncture of poverty and opportunity. If plans move forward, it will one day be a showcase of urban design, with revitalized neighborhoods, verdant parks, rolling pedestrian and bicycle paths, and an occasional eagle soaring overhead -- in other words, a paradise. Today, Anacostia is more of a nightmare.

A test of US authority over waterways; A high court case Tuesday probes which bodies of water fall under the Clean Water Act - and federal oversight.
Warren Richey, Christian Science Monitor; February 21, 2006
The dispute is one of two cases consolidated for oral argument Tuesday examining just how far upstream the Clean Water Act (CWA) extends federal jurisdiction. Is it limited to lakes and rivers? Or does it include remote wetlands with no link to them? At stake: how broadly the clean water law will be applied nationwide and, potentially, whether a broad application of the law is consistent with the proper constitutional balance of power between the federal government and the states. At the center of the dispute is a discrepancy between the words Congress used when it wrote the CWA and the regulations the US Army Corps of Engineers and Environmental Protection Agency wrote later to enforce the clean water law.

From puddles to pollution: Potomac's sewage overflow problem
Rob Carey, Bay Journal; October 2001
… Toxic sewage overflow is not a problem specific to the District, as other cities along the Potomac have also been identified with this form of pollution. The government and the public are aware of this issue and are taking steps to resolve it. But the challenges to implement a solution are monumental, and progress is slow. A historical look at the sewer systems along the Potomac explains why sewage overflows into the watershed occur.

Wildlife on the run; A two-person state office is struggling to steer development away from 925
Richmond Times Dispatch; March 24 2007
The call of whippoorwills and bobwhites is being replaced by the noise of traffic and construction. Poor water quality threatens rare mussels and other water creatures. Development, forest and farming practices are breaking up wildlife haunts. ... A two-person office in the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries is trying to work with local governments to steer development in the fast-growing state away from sensitive wildlife. In Powhatan, Loudoun and Richmond counties and elsewhere, the office is trying to meet the lofty goals of a conservation plan that lists 925 creatures as imperiled. David Whitehurst, director of the department's wildlife diversity and information and education divisions, is frustrated.

Bald eagles in middle of debate on bridge; In Richmond County, 40 pairs nest within 10 miles of river bluffs
Richmond Times Dispatch; March 24 2006
... When county supervisors lamented delays in a bridge replacement last year, they made eagles the scapegoat: Construction was stalled to give biologists time to decide whether eagles would be disturbed if the new bridge was built high enough to allow motorboat traffic for the first time. "They're just a bunch of white-headed buzzards," groused Supervisor Randolph Packett, eager for a new bridge. Ultimately, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service agreed with the design of the new span, which will cross eagle-laden Cat Point Creek.

Arborists attuned to spreading chestnut trees
Fauquier Times Democrat; March 21 2007
At one time, the American chestnut tree reigned over more than 200 million acres, stretching from Maine to Florida and accounted for one in every four hardwood trees in Eastern forests, according to The American Chestnut Foundation. The tree was wiped out by the chestnut blight in the early 20th century, and in 1983 TACF formed to address the impact of the tree's near extinction.

New segments would join national one
Potomac News; March 26 2007
The Northern Virginia Regional Commission recently received more than $850,000 from federal and state governments that will go to constructing segments of the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail, a portion of which runs through part of Prince William County. Doug Pickford, Director of Environmental and Heritage Resources for the commission, said the $680,000 congressional earmark and the $17,000 state match, although relatively minimal, will assist at least three trails projects in Prince William, Alexandria and near the boundary of Loudon and Fairfax counties.

Brickley leads call for more area trails
Potomac News; March 26 2007
Brickley worries, though, that budget shortfalls mixed with a park authority already operating on a limited budget could have direct effects on the county's ability to expand its trail system. The ironic thing, Brickley said, is trails are among the most demanded amenities in the state. Trails for hiking and bicycling have consistently placed on the top of the Virginia Outdoors Survey, which asks Virginians what they think of the open space and natural resources in the state.

Eagle Population Up, But Prime Habitat Threatened
Elizabeth Shogren, NPR; March 14 2007
As the federal government gears up to take the bald eagle off the endangered species list, biologists worry that the fast pace of waterfront development in key eagle habitat could make the majestic bird's robust numbers fleeting.

Eagles Vie with Landowners for Waterfront Property
Elizabeth Shogren, NPR; March 14 2007
Despite the bird's booming populations, biologists are concerned that prime eagle habitat is rapidly being taken over by development. Because most of the eagles on the East Coast nest on private land, decisions made by landowners help determine the fate of the eagle.

Fairfax to lead national green initiative
Michelle Zimmermann, Fairfax County Times; March 16 2007
Fairfax will partner with the Sierra Club to develop a proposal to green up counties across the country, in an announcement made Thursday. Chairman of the Fairfax County board, Gerry Connolly (D), said that, as a result of a discussion in December, Fairfax 's environmental committee and members of the Sierra Club came up with an idea that would encourage counties across the country to embrace environmentally friendly practices. Based somewhat on the existing "Cool Cities" program, in which cities across the country sign compacts to pursue alternative energy and vehicle solutions, "Cool Counties" would take that a step further.

Big Homebuilders Lag on Green Building
Associated Press; March 7 2007
Green building as a cause has united disparate parties from environmental groups to big business to policymakers, but one key industry has struggled to react to the change in public sentiment. The major homebuilders, who account for 80 percent of all homebuilding activity in the nation, face a unique challenge in implementing green building on a widespread scale. Many have added energy-saving features and experimented with environmentally friendly materials but have not yet been able to sign on a critical mass of buyers willing to pay more for them.

America's Greenest Buildings
Hannah Clark, Forbes; February 2007
… Green building is a growing trend, in part because companies have realized they can actually save money by making a few environmentally friendly upgrades. Adobe Systems, for example, says it has spent $650,000 since 2001 to upgrade two San Jose buildings, and saved $728,000. The California Environmental Protection Agency spent $500,000 to make its building environmentally friendly, and is saving $610,000 a year. The upgrades also increased the building's value by $12 million, according to the USGBC. "The return on that investment is really high," Hicks says.

Snakeheads Appear at Home in the Potomac; Fish Are Spreading, but They Haven't Driven Out Bass
David A. Fahrenthold, Washington Post; October 2, 2006
The northern snakehead fish seems to be expanding its territory in the Potomac River , government researchers say, after a year in which the toothy Asian transplant has appeared in new places and at higher concentrations across the area.

EPA chided over 'intersex' fish concerns
Brian Westley, Associated Press; October 5, 2006
Federal lawmakers Wednesday criticized the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for not moving faster to determine whether "intersex" fish in the Potomac River and its tributaries signal the presence of pollutants that might be harmful to humans.

Shifting Course For River Festival, Before Celebration, Summit to Focus on Cleaning Patuxent
William Wan, Washington Post; October 5, 2006
The Calvert Marine Museum will host its 29th annual Patuxent River Appreciation Days this weekend with a renewed focus on the river itself. Organizers said this week that in recent years, the event has become too much like the many other annual festivals in Calvert County . And, meanwhile, the river that inspired the festivities has continued to deteriorate.

U.N. Says Sewage Growing Coastal Problem
Mike Corder, Associated Press; October 4, 2006
… "We perhaps in the 20th century thought we could use the oceans as our sewage treatment plants," Steiner told reporters in The Hague . "This sewage is not just something that goes into the sea and the sea does it for us anymore."

Going Green; With windmills, low-energy homes, new forms of recycling and fuel-efficient cars, Americans are taking conservation into their own hands.
Newsweek; July 2006
… Environmentalism waxes and wanes in importance in American politics, but it appears to be on the upswing now. Membership in the Sierra Club is up by about a third, to 800,000, in four years, and Gallup polling data show that the number of Americans who say they worry about the environment "a great deal" or "a fair amount" increased from 62 to 77 percent between 2004 and 2006. (The 2006 poll was done in March, before the attention-getting release of Al Gore's global-warming film, "An Inconvenient Truth.")

The environmental load of 300 million: How heavy? As the US population rises, environmental problems that were once pushed aside may get worse, experts say.
Christian Science Monitor, September 26, 2006
… Some experts put the average American's "ecological footprint" - the amount of land and water needed to support an individual and absorb his or her waste - at 24 acres. By that calculation, the long-term "carrying capacity" of the US would sustain less than half of the nation's current population. "The US is the only industrialized nation in the world experiencing significant population growth," says Vicky Markham, of the Center for Environment and Population, a nonprofit research and advocacy organization in New Canaan, Conn. "That, combined with America's high rates of resource consumption, results in the largest ... environmental impact [of any nation] in the world."

2 Baby Eagles Saved After Storm; Birds, Shaken but Unhurt, Are Being Raised at Va. Facility
Candace Rondeaux, Washington Post; May 24, 2006
Two baby bald eagles found themselves on the ground after a windstorm blew through Prince William County last week, toppling their tree and their nest, according to wildlife specialists who scooped up the defenseless young birds and are trying to raise them. A crew working on a housing development in Gainesville discovered the eaglets Friday near the edge of a lake on 300 acres of largely wooded land. Their nest, as well as the tree that had held it, were on the ground, according to Priscilla Joyner, a veterinarian at the Wildlife Center of Virginia in Waynesboro . Workers contacted the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which in turn notified wildlife center staff.

Tree loss costs add up to $1B for southeast Michigan taxpayers; A study shows surge in regional development and stormwater runoff that follows add up
Amy Lee, Detroit News; May 22, 2006
Cutting trees to make way for development not only hurts the environment, it hits taxpayers squarely in the wallet, a new study says. Cities in southeast Michigan have spent about $1 billion over the past 10 years to deal with stormwater runoff in places where pavement has replaced soil and tree roots, according to the report.

Baby Bear Captured In Prince William Neighborhood; Animal Control Officers Corner Bear in Tree
NBC; May 17, 2006
A baby black bear was caught wandering around a Virginia neighborhood. The bear was first spotted near Tyler Elementary School in Gainesville on Tuesday. The school was locked down as animal control officers searched for the animal, but they were unable to locate it. It was seen again Wednesday in a tree near route 29 at Linton Hall Road in Prince William County . Officers used a tranquilizer gun to shoot the bear. It was then taken to an animal control facility. The baby bear will be checked over and released back into the wilderness.

Why suburbs will never have tall trees
Kenneth Kidd, Toronto Star; May 7, 2006
… Behind the signs announcing a new subdivision, monstrous tractors and earth-moving equipment will be chugging across the landscape, preparing what might have been a farmer's field for a sea of houses. Off to one side, there'll be a giant pile of earth — all of the topsoil that had been scraped away and set aside so the machines could grade the site for drainage, sewers and roads. Then the houses duly go up, some of that topsoil gets put back for the lawns, and in come the happy new homeowners dreaming of a green and leafy suburb to be. There's just one snag: It may be decades before the place will begin to support the kind of trees the homeowners want.

Why forests matter: Not out of the woods just yet
Don Melnick and Mary Pearl The New York Times; April 20, 2006
Our forests are the heart of our environmental support system. And yet, in the 36 years that have passed since the first Earth Day, on April 22, 1970 , we have lost more than 1 billion acres of forest, with no end in sight. … Everywhere, forests prevent erosion, filter and regulate the flow of fresh water, protect coral reefs and fisheries and harbor animals that pollinate, control pests and buffer disease. That is why the single most important action we can take to protect lives and livelihoods worldwide is to protect forests. And one of the best ways to do that is to change how we think about their economics.

Area scientists try to get a handle on snakefish; Study of location, habits part of mission to 'contain,' if not 'eradicate'
Candus Thomson, Baltimore Sun; May 12, 2006
… Faced with a congressional mandate to "contain and eradicate" the invasive species nicknamed "Frankenfish," Maryland and Virginia biologists are trying to pinpoint where it lives and how quickly it reproduces. The number of reports from recreational fishermen this year indicates that the voracious predator is breeding and growing at prolific rates in Potomac River tributaries such as Dogue Creek. ... "The bottom line is, we're not going to eradicate them, so we've got to figure out how to control them," Odenkirk says.

Tax Break Credited In Saving Va. Land; State Is a Leader In Conservation Amy Gardner , Washington Pos; May 16, 2006 As growth spreads west from Washington along the Piedmont , record numbers of property owners are protecting their land from development by using a little-known state tax credit that has transformed Virginia into a national leader of private land conservation. In the six years since the General Assembly enacted a tax credit for landowners who place their property under conservation easements, the number of such easements has skyrocketed. In 1995, landowners donated fewer than 6,000 acres; last year, the figure exceeded 35,000, according to the Virginia Outdoors Foundation.

Successful zebra mussel eradication in Va. could be national model Mike Rupert , Washington Examiner; May 12, 2006 The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries announced Thursday that the notorious invasive aquatic species was successfully eradicated from the Millwork Quarry — the first successful extermination of the mussels from a large, open body of water in North America and perhaps the world, officials said.

Virginia Confirms First Successful Open Water Eradication of Zebra Mussels Virginia Dept. of Game and Inland Fisheries Press Release; May 10, 2006 … Virginia Secretary of Natural Resources L. Preston Bryant, Jr. said of the successful eradication, "The existence of zebra mussels in Virginia posed a very real threat to our natural resources and to our economy. The price of eradication was small compared to the potential millions of dollars that would have been needed to control zebra mussels had they escaped into adjacent waters, not to mention the permanent impact on the environment of the Commonwealth.

More shad to appear in area rivers Lillian Kafka, Potomac News; May 17, 2006 Louis Harley and his son Michael, of Harley and Sons Live Fish Co., were especially happy Tuesday as 170,000 shad fry swam from a tank into the Occoquan River . David Peterson, an animal caretaker for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, crouched at the edge of a boat ramp at Occoquan Regional Park and held a hose that spewed the tiny fish into the water.

A River Under Siege; Shenandoah Makes List of Most-Endangered Waterways
Stephanie McCrummen , Washington Post; April 20, 2006
Paved driveways, parking lots, roads and other trappings of encroaching development are threatening the health of the delicate and storied Shenandoah River , which made its grim debut yesterday on an annual list of the nation's 10 most-endangered rivers.

America's Ten Most Endangered Rivers
American Rivers ; April 2006

Waterford Foundation buys Hutchison Farm Jana Renn, Loudoun Times Mirror' May 16, 2006 The Waterford Foundation recently purchased a 25-acre parcel from the Hutchison family in the Waterford National Historic Landmark, according to Jennifer Worcester, Waterford Foundation spokeswoman. … "A conservation easement and restrictive covenants will reduce the density of the 25-acre parcel to one home site before it is resold to a conservation-minded buyer," Worcester said. The Hutchison family is also reducing the density of an adjoining 25 acres to allow only two home sites.

Prince William Probes Builders; Anonymous Letter Cites Soil Dangers
Nikita Stewart , Washington Post; February 12, 2006
Prince William County officials are investigating whether two major developers built houses on bad soil that could, over time, crack the foundations of the homes and possibly cause landslides. At issue are Port Potomac , a 982-home development in Woodbridge built by Vienna-based KSI Services, and Four Seasons at Historic Virginia , an 800-home retirement community built by national developer K. Hovnanian . Both projects are in eastern Prince William, long known for its marine clay, a temperamental soil that shrinks and swells depending on moisture.

Port Potomac OK'd for inspections
Keith Walker, Potomac News, March 4, 2006
Prince William County officials have lifted a ban on final inspections at the Port Potomac development, clearing the way for 39 homes to go to closing in the Woodbridge subdivision. … KSI hired independent engineers to test the soil and found that the soil mix was safe for building, Mays said. Sand was used to stabilize the clay, said Thomas Williamson, a senior vice president for KSI. … When they got the records, county engineers reviewed them and determined that the fill material was acceptable and the buildings were safe. "I accepted that data as evidence that the soil work was done correctly," Mays said.

County to test Four Seasons soil
Keith Walker, Potomac News ; March 17, 2006
Prince William County Building Official Eric Mays recently mailed right-of-entry agreements to homeowners in the Four Seasons development. The agreements would allow county representatives to enter private property to take soil testings. In February, members of the Four Seasons community received an anonymous letter saying topsoil may have been used as fill material during construction in the development that is west of Interstate 95 at Va. 234. County building officials want to determine if topsoil was used, Mays said. … Four Seasons developer K. Hovnanian has agreed to work with the county in testing the soil, Mays said.

Orange supervisors move ahead with water-supply planning; Orange County supervisors agree to accept grant to begin study on water supply
Robin Knepper, Fredericksburg Free Lance Star; March 16, 2006
Orange County supervisors have voted unanimously to accept state grant money to help pay for the preparation of a water-supply plan for the county. Orange County was one of six localities in the state to receive the grant funds made available by the Department of Environmental Quality. The $50,000 grant was awarded on behalf of the county, the towns of Orange and Gordonsville, the Rapidan Service Authority and the Rappahannock-Rapidan Regional Commission.

Virginia Water Supply Planning Program The Code of Virginia, as amended by Senate Bill 1221 in 2003 (Section 62.1-44.38:1) requires the development of a comprehensive statewide water supply planning process to (1) ensure that adequate and safe drinking water is available to all citizens of the Commonwealth, (2) encourage, promote, and protect all other beneficial uses of the Commonwealth's water resources, and (3) encourage, promote, and develop incentives for alternative water sources, including but not limited to desalinization.

Landfill looks to transform
Aileen Streng, Potomac News; February 12, 2006
Taking down Potomac Landfill would not pose any new problems to neighboring residents and would ultimately benefit all, according to its manager. …. Reed said they envision turning most of the land into a business and office park, which would benefit the town by adding to its tax base and increase property values in the surrounding area. Potomac Landfill also has offered to donate land to the town for recreational use.

Storm Water Ponds Draining Budget; County May Raise Fees to Meet Needs
Nikita Stewart, Washington Post; February 12, 2006
Prince William County is running out of money to manage a growing number of storm water management ponds as more houses are built. From fiscal 2002 to fiscal 2005, the number of storm water management ponds maintained by the county increased from 383 to 534, or 39 percent. … A report by the county Department of Public Works lists several costly items that far exceed the $3.8 million in fees, including $6 million to repair and build a levee for Flat Branch, a tributary of Bull Run northwest of Manassas and Manassas Park.

Prince William Probes Builders
Nikita Stewart, Washington Post; February 12, 2006
"Prince William County officials are investigating whether two major developers built houses on bad soil that could, over time, crack the foundations of the homes and possibly cause landslides. At issue are Port Potomac, a 982-home development in Woodbridge built by Vienna-based KSI Services, and Four Seasons at Historic Virginia, an 800-home retirement community built by national developer K. Hovnanian. Both projects are in eastern Prince William, long known for its marine clay, a temperamental soil that shrinks and swells depending on moisture..."

Potomac agreement vital to city's growth; City now has only 162,000 gallons of water available for new development
Business Gazette; Feb. 9, 2006
The City of Frederick is coming up dry in its search for additional sources of water and is depending heavily on the Potomac River pipeline project to provide water for new development. The city has 162,000 gallons of water left to allocate for development, and most of that is for businesses. Only 148 gallons of it is earmarked for homes. … The city is pinning its hopes on Frederick County's $100 million Potomac pipeline project to deliver up to 8 million gallons to city users over the next decade.

Prince William Probes Builders; Anonymous Letter Cites Soil Dangers
Nikita Stewart, Washington Post; February 12, 2006
Prince William County officials are investigating whether two major developers built houses on bad soil that could, over time, crack the foundations of the homes and possibly cause landslides. At issue are Port Potomac, a 982-home development in Woodbridge built by Vienna-based KSI Services, and Four Seasons at Historic Virginia, an 800-home retirement community built by national developer K. Hovnanian. Both projects are in eastern Prince William, long known for its marine clay, a temperamental soil that shrinks and swells depending on moisture.

Groundwater Toxin Found at Additional D.C. Sites; Officials Want to Know if Contaminant, Detected at High Levels, Could Reach Reservoir
Susan Levine, Washington Post, February 18, 2006
More testing for groundwater problems in Northwest Washington neighborhoods where the U.S. Army researched chemical weapons during World War I has found new locations of perchlorate contamination, at some of the highest levels detected to date, according to officials. Undetermined is whether the contamination could end up in the Dalecarlia Reservoir or the Washington Aqueduct, both of which supply drinking water to more than 1 million people in the metropolitan area.

Allegheny: Proposed Line Can't Be Buried
Winchester Star; September 29, 2006
Allegheny Power officials say they will not bury transmission lines that could obscure the views that thousands of property owners have tried to protect. … Allegheny and Dominion Power are deciding where to place a 240-mile 500-kilovolt transmission line that will connect five substations. The high-voltage line would start in Pennsylvania and cross into West Virginia and Virginia — through Clarke, Frederick, Warren, Prince William, and Loudoun counties.

Judge suggests way to settle Crow's Nest issues
Meghann Cotter, Fredericksburg Free Lance Star; September 26, 2006
A Circuit Court judge agreed yesterday to hear evidence in a case involving the denial of a subdivision plan for Crow's Nest. A trial date will be set soon. But Judge H. Harrison Braxton encouraged Stafford County to first consider giving the landowner an opportunity to resolve its issues with the Planning Commission. He cannot legally order them to do so.

New laws assist conservation easements
Charity Corkey, Clarke Times Democrat; September 27, 2006
Recent federal and state adjustments are improving tax incentives for the conservation of private land. A new federal law concerning conservation easements donated in 2006 and 2007 will raise the maximum deduction from 30 to 50 percent of a donor's adjusted gross income, permit qualified ranchers and farmers up to a 100 percent deduction of their adjusted gross income and allow donors to benefit from a deduction up to 15 years after the original donation, instead of five years.

Wolf: National Heritage Area Would Boost Tourism
Winchester Star; September 29, 2006
Legislation to create a national heritage area in the region would promote tourism, Rep. Frank R. Wolf, R-10th, told the House Resources Subcommittee on National Parks on Thursday. “It will help link national parks to historical sites, package tourism opportunities, and provide financial and technical support for sites in the corridor,” Wolf told the subcommittee, according to a statement from his office in Washington . The Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area would protect a 175-mile area from Gettysburg , Pa. , to Charlottesville ...

Credit Where It's Due
Editorial, Richmond Times-Dispatch; May 22, 2006
Politics can make for strange bedfellows, and strange bedfellows can make sound policy. Such is the case with Virginia 's program granting tax credits for conservation easements, which enjoys support from both right-wing tax-cutters and left-wing environmentalists. Individuals who place their land under control of a conservation easement rather than, say, sell it to a developer receive tax credits worth half the value of the easement. Land that might bring $10 million if sold for development might bring $5 million if handed over to the Virginia Outdoors Foundation, a state agency. The landowner can receive further breaks on federal taxes and on local real-estate taxes, all the while continuing to enjoy the use of his property.

Crow's Nest offer is $30.5 million; Stafford supervisors are waiting to see if a McLean developer will accept that amount for land.
Meghann Cotter, Fredericksburg Free Lance Star; May 24, 2006
Stafford supervisors are waiting to hear whether a McLean developer will accept the county's offer to buy Crow's Nest for $30.5 million. K&M Properties, which plans to develop the environmentally sensitive peninsula, received the offer Friday. It must respond in 30 days. Attorney Clark Leming, who represents the company, said he has no comment at this time. Crow's Nest, which sits between the Potomac and Accokeek creeks, is home to some rare plant and animal species. It has more than 1,000 acres of virgin forest. The tract has been the subject of controversy since negotiations between K&M and the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation fell through in 2004. Environmentalists want the county to buy the land for a state nature preserve. But K&M, which wants to cash-in on its long-term investment, is seeking approval to put 688 homes on 3,230 acres of the peninsula. The Stafford Planning Commission rejected K&M's preliminary subdivision plan in January. The firm has appealed that decision to Circuit Court.

BP gives 655 acres for nature preserve
Steve Vaughan, Virginia Gazette; May 24, 2006
BP America is donating 655 acres of woods and wetlands along the York River to the Nature Conservancy. It will manage the land as a preserve until it transfers the acreage to a government conservation agency. The site, which was held back from the sale of the refinery to Giant Industries in 2002, is adjacent to the refinery property, but should have no impact on the plant's newly announced expansion. … The river is becoming an environmental enclave with the BP donation following 1,600 acres donated to the Williamsburg Land Conservancy in New Kent County by the York River Preserve, out of Richmond.

Interest Surges In Saving Land; St. Mary's Seeing Record Requests for Agricultural Use
Dan Zak, Washington Post; May 18, 2006
A record number of St. Mary's County landowners have applied for a record amount of state funds allocated for agricultural preservation in Maryland for 2007. Around 1,500 acres of county land will be considered by the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation, which has $89.5 million to spend in the coming fiscal year for the appraisal of properties and purchase of easements across the state.

Easement Hearing To Be Packed
Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star, February 11, 2006
"Fredericksburg is expecting hundreds of people to come tell the City Council what they think about a proposed conservation easement on land the city owns along the Rappahannock River. In order to accommodate a crowd that big, the public hearing on the easement, scheduled for 7 p.m. on Feb. 21, has been moved to the auditorium at James Monroe High School..."

WHO: Air Pollution Kills 2M Folks a Year
Teresa Cerojano, Associated Press; October 5, 2006
The World Health Organization called on governments Thursday to improve air quality in their cities, saying air pollution prematurely kills two million people a year, with more than half the deaths in developing countries. Reducing pollution from particles that are too small to be filtered in the nose and throat and settle in the lungs could save as many as 300,000 lives every year … Particulate matter pollution is considered the biggest health risk. But the WHO Air Quality Guidelines also recommended lowering the daily allowed limits for ozone.

Number of Smoggy Days Falls, Study Says; Region Still Needs to Cut Pollution Under U.S. Clean Air Standards
David A. Fahrenthold, Washington Post; September 28, 2006
The number of dangerously smoggy days in the Washington area has declined by more than 40 percent since 2003, but the region still does not meet federal standards for healthy air, according to data released yesterday. From 2003 to 2006, the region has had 63 days in which the levels of ground-level ozone -- a harmful gas formed when the sun heats polluted air -- was high enough for Code Orange, Code Red or Code Purple warnings. From 1999 to 2002, there were 114 such days, according to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.

Virginia Air Quality Conditions and Forecasts
The U.S. EPA, NOAA, NPS, tribal, state, and local agencies developed the AIRNow Web site to provide the public with easy access to national air quality information. The Web site offers daily AQI forecasts as well as real-time AQI conditions for over 300 cities across the US , and provides links to more detailed State and local air quality Web sites.

National Park Service Web Cameras
The National Park Service operates digital cameras at many parks to help educate the public on air quality issues. These cameras often show the effects of air pollution such as visibility impairment. Because these cameras are typically located near air quality monitoring sites, the camera web pages display other information along with the photo such as current levels of ozone, particulate matter, or sulfur dioxide air pollutants, visual range, and weather conditions.

Record Increase in U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reported
Environment News Service; April 18, 2006
U.S. greenhouse gas emissions during 2004 increased by 1.7 percent from the previous year, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which released the figures Monday. This was the largest annual amount ever produced by any country on record, said The Royal Society, the UK national academy of science, warning that urgent action is needed to curb emissions.

State of the Air: 2006 Report Virginia Receives “F” for Smog and “B” for Soot Pollution; Fairfax Joins List of Top 25 Most Polluted Counties
American Lung Association; April 27, 2006

History in the Shadow of Bull Run Mountain; Evergreen Farm Residents Restoring Old Manor House
Ann Cameron Siegal, Washington Post; May 20, 2006
Living amid mountain views and manicured lawns, where only the sounds of birds or the occasional hum of golf carts break the early morning silence, it would be easy to sit back, put your feet up and not have a care in the world. And yet, as Mary Banwarth and some neighbors set out on frequent five-mile, 5:30 a.m. treks through the neighborhood, conversations turn from Evergreen Farm's resort-like surroundings to the community's current passion -- the renovation of a manor house built in 1827.

A growth spurt; Booms in 8 Va. localities make national list
Richmond Times Dispatch; March 23 2007
... Overall, Virginia's population grew 8 percent since the last census, to an estimated 7.6 million, the bureau said. The fastest growing counties, such as New Kent, are once-rural fringes of the state's cities. The national Top 100 list also includes Loudoun, Spotsylvania, Culpeper, Stafford, King George and Prince William counties, as well as the city of Suffolk.

Growth Cooling in D.C. Suburbs, Census Data Show
Washington Post; March 22 2007
The galloping growth of Washington's outer Virginia suburbs is slowing at last, according to Census Bureau estimates to be released today, with high housing costs beginning to dull the appeal of counties that have long been a magnet for newcomers. ... "There's still growth in the Washington region, and there's still migration from the inside of the doughnut to the periphery. But it's kind of slacking," said William H. Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution. "From being a very fast-growing exurban place, Washington has now come down to more normal levels."

Weak Market Nationwide Reaches Area as Prices Stagnate
Washington Post; March 25 2007
Once again, it all came down to location. Even though the dizzying climb in Washington area home prices generally slammed to a halt last year, the market varied notably around the region. While Northern Virginia experienced sharply lower sales and stagnant prices, the slowdown was not as abrupt elsewhere, according to a Washington Post analysis of government sales records for single-family houses and townhouses. ... The most expensive of the 13 jurisdictions surveyed remained Alexandria, with a median sales price of $599,000 for houses and townhouses. ... Median prices also remained more than $500,000 in Arlington, Fairfax and Loudoun counties. Prince William was the least expensive of the Northern Virginia counties, with a median price of $410,000.

A House of Dreams but Few Takers Despite Inspiring Many, Quantico's Lustrons Hard to Unload
Washington Post; March 25 2007
Grand schemes to save the Lustron homes of Quantico Marine Corps Base began floating into Prince William County last summer, not long after word got out that anyone interested in the quirky postwar-era metal houses could get one free. Some said the Lustrons should be relocated to the Gulf Coast, to be used as sturdy shelters for hurricane victims. Another proposal sought to ship them to the desert town of Snowflake, Ariz., where they could serve as hypoallergenic homes for a community of plasterboard-averse residents afflicted with multiple chemical sensitivity.

College hosts BRAC discussion
Potomac News; March 20 2007
Business owners should begin preparing now if they want to take advantage of the regional opportunities that will come to Prince William County as a result of Base Realignment and Closure 2005, economic development professionals said during a focus group Monday on the Woodbridge Campus of Northern Virginia Community College.

Growth Ushers in Stewart's Tenure, Harbor Station Expansion Passes
Timothy Dwyer, Washington Post; November 26, 2006
The Corey A. Stewart era began last week with the new chairman presiding over his first meeting of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, and the day reflected the complexities of the challenges facing the board as the county continues its unprecedented population growth and development. In Tuesday's afternoon session, Supervisor W.S. Covington III (R-Brentsville) introduced a resolution calling for a one-year freeze on housing construction. In the evening, the board voted 4 to 2 to approve 1,400 houses as part of an expansion of KSI Services Inc.'s Harbor Station development on the Cherry Hill Peninsula . Covington voted to approve the new houses. Stewart, who based his campaign for chairman on controlling growth, opposed it, as did Supervisor John T. Stirrup (R-Gainesville).

Harbor Station gets OK
Keith Walker, Potomac News; December 23, 2006
The board's approval Tuesday night of the three action items made way for KSI to build an additional 1,487 residential units, a public boat pier and a 51-acre marina with 480 slips … Prince William County Chairman Corey A. Stewart and Supervisor John T. Stirrup, R-Gainesville, voted against the package. "The one thing I cannot support is the substantial increase in the number of residential units along the Route 1 corridor," Stewart said. Stewart also objected to the order of the development. KSI could build the residential units first and ignore the commercial, he said.

Hoping Corps Lore Lures in Tourists; Triangle's $90 Million Museum Expected to Be Area's 3rd-Largest Attraction
Nick Miroff, Washington Post; November 19, 2006
With the recent opening of the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, county officials are hoping Prince William will now be targeted by a massive invading force -- cash-wielding tourists. The $90 million museum is expected to draw 300,000 visitors a year, making it the third-largest tourist destination in the county, after Potomac Mills and the Manassas National Battlefield Park .

A Home for Whom? Affordable housing in Prince William County
A three-art series by Daniel Gilbert, Potomac News; October-November 2006

Down and outside
For the homeless, a home is getting harder to reach
Little about Kim Tyson's story is out of the ordinary. Kicked out of a friend's home, losing her means of transportation and her job - all well-worn steps on the path to homelessness.

Affordable no more
Housing costs cut into incomes, price some out of county
Bonnie Ditzel and L'Oreal Ramey live in a community they could not possibly afford on their own. The two single mothers are residents of a transitional housing facility in Bristow.

County Is Losing Woodland To Builders; Report: 20,000 Acres Have Disappeared
David A. Fahrenthold, Washington Post; October 8, 2006
The Chesapeake Bay watershed is losing 100 acres of forest every day as development eats away at that crucial natural pollution filter, and more than a third of its wooded land could be gone by 2030, according to a new report. … In the Virginia suburbs, the largest losses of forest were in Fairfax County, which saw 25,000 acres, or 25.7 percent, disappear from 1984 to 2002; Prince William County, with 20,000 acres, or 16.8 percent; and Spotsylvania County , with 12,000 acres, or 6.5 percent.

Front-Row Seating for Nature's Parade; Wooded, Waterfront Setting Attracts More Than Just People
Ann Cameron Siegal, Washington Post; October 7, 2006
Carol Chambers once found a timber rattler napping on her front stoop. However, that unsettling occurrence has long since been overshadowed by the many delightful nature encounters she and her husband, Frank, enjoy on their wooded, waterfront property in Waterview Plantation.

Peninsula district wins OK
Elisa Glushefski, Potomac News; October 6, 2006
KSI, a Vienna-based developer, got approval from the Prince William Planning Commission for 1,487 residential units and an employment center on the Cherry Hill peninsula.

County supervisors approve new development on Centreville Road
Christy Goodman, The Examiner; October 5, 2006
Prince William County supervisors approved a 110-dwelling unit development Tuesday night on 13.5 acres off Centreville Road . The Yorkshire property will also feature four single-family homes and a 25,000-square-foot office building. … “Transportation problems are a big negative in that corridor. Converting this in the mix, over [the] commercial zoning that it was, actually makes traffic better,” said Covington , who added he hopes the office space comes online before the residential.

Planners approve topping off The Glen
Elisa Glushefski, Potomac News; October 7, 2006
The Prince William Planning Commission approved two proposals, one of which calls for 53,640 square feet of commercial space, that will top-off The Glen development off Old Bridge Road .

Catholic charity gets $500,000 to build cheap homes for county employees
Tara Slate Donaldson, Gainesville Times; September 7, 2006
A Catholics For Housing plan to build affordable homes on Linton Hall Road was saved on Tuesday when the Prince William Board of County Supervisors gave the charity $500,000. The money will be used to help build 19 homes for teachers, firefighters, police officers and other county employees.

Allegheny: Proposed Line Can't Be Buried
Winchester Star; September 29, 2006
Allegheny Power officials say they will not bury transmission lines that could obscure the views that thousands of property owners have tried to protect. … Allegheny and Dominion Power are deciding where to place a 240-mile 500-kilovolt transmission line that will connect five substations. The high-voltage line would start in Pennsylvania and cross into West Virginia and Virginia — through Clarke, Frederick, Warren, Prince William, and Loudoun counties.

Sales, and prices, dip in August
Fredericksburg Free Lance Star; September 30, 2003
The slowdown in the real estate market was reflected across the Fredericksburg area and across the state in August. … Sales across Virginia were down 24.7 percent for the month compared to August 2005. The steepest monthly sales decline was in Prince William County , with a drop of 54.3 percent.

Commission recommends denial for Caton's Ridge
Elisa Glushefski, Potomac News, September 22, 2006
With little discussion, the Prince William Planning Commission denied rezoning of the Caton's Ridge property on Minnieville Road in a 3 to 2 vote at Wednesday's public hearing.

What's the impact of Quantico jobs? BRAC committee will learn soon where job holders are likely to live
Kelly Hannon, Fredericksburg Free Lance Star; September 26, 2006
Planning for 3,000 new jobs at Quantico Marine Corps Base hinges on a few unknowns. Who will take the jobs, assigned to the base by the federal Base Realignment and Closure Commission? Where are the workers likely to live? Will they bring school-age children? How many? Will Stafford , Prince William and surrounding counties need to build new schools? The Marine Corps will provide some demographic data in two months.

Redeveloping Haymarket
Tara Slate Donaldson, Gainesville Times; September 28, 2006
Haymarket residents will start seeing big changes in the small town within the next month. Owners of three local businesses have banded together to redevelop two old buildings and they expect their tenants to move in sometime in October.

Plan for Homes, Shops Approved in Manassas
Nick Miroff , Washington Post, September 28, 2006
The first mixed-use development project in Manassas was approved Monday night by the City Council, clearing the way for new homes, loft apartments, shops and a Harris Teeter market on one of the city's largest remaining undeveloped parcels.

Blink and They're Still There; Houses and Condos Are Staying on the Market Longer
Tomoeh Murakami Tse , Washington Post; May 2, 2006
… Those who study local real estate markets say the homes are lingering for two main reasons: because of a housing glut in areas where builders put up large developments during the housing boom of the past five years and because of buyers who are counting on better prices as the market cools. The neighborhoods with the most single-family houses and townhouses for sale are concentrated in Loudoun and Prince William counties. The Zip codes with the most condos on the market are closer in, most notably in Northwest Washington , the southwest portion of Alexandria , northern Reston and Aspen Hill.

On the Market
Washington Post; May 2, 2006
Number of residential properties for sale, by Zip code, on the region's multiple listing service as of April 7. The neighborhoods with the most single-family houses and townhouses for sale are in Loudoun and Prince William counties. Condo listings dominate the closer-in Zip codes.

Bruun Appointed Director of Public Works
Prince William County Press Release; May 16, 2006
At its meeting today, the Board of County Supervisors appointed Thomas Bruun as Director of Public Works. Bruun has served as acting Director of Public Works since March, 2006.

Would rezoning remake Prince William's Triangle?
Christy Goodman, Washington Examiner; May 20, 2006
Prince William County planners are considering creating a special zoning district as the first step in transforming the county's Triangle neighborhood into a more pedestrian-friendly village. … The new zoning district — which would cover the area between Old Triangle Road, Triangle Street, Fuller Road and a block south of Bradys Hill Road — would open the door for an official rezoning of the area.

Working to gain regional interest in planning
Christy Goodman, Washington Examiner; May 9, 2006
The Prince William Board of County Supervisors will likely sign on to a regional planning effort that would prepare the greater Washington area for the next 50 years of development. A larger plan is necessary to deal with transportation, housing, education and other quality-of-life issues as the metropolitan area grows, leaders say. “With 2 million more residents coming and 1.6 million more jobs coming, it can't stay the way it is,” said David Robertson, executive director of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, an organization comprising 19 local governments.

Blink and They're Still There; Houses and Condos Are Staying on the Market Longer
Tomoeh Murakami Tse , Washington Post; May 2, 2006
… Those who study local real estate markets say the homes are lingering for two main reasons: because of a housing glut in areas where builders put up large developments during the housing boom of the past five years and because of buyers who are counting on better prices as the market cools. The neighborhoods with the most single-family houses and townhouses for sale are concentrated in Loudoun and Prince William counties. The Zip codes with the most condos on the market are closer in, most notably in Northwest Washington , the southwest portion of Alexandria, northern Reston and Aspen Hill.

On the Market
Washington Post; May 2, 2006
Number of residential properties for sale, by Zip code, on the region's multiple listing service as of April 7. The neighborhoods with the most single-family houses and townhouses for sale are in Loudoun and Prince William counties. Condo listings dominate the closer-in Zip codes.

Localities Can Still Regulate Wineries
Rappahannock News; March 10, 2006
The General Assembly has decided to freeze the hostilities between Virginia's farm wineries and local governments. A bill by Delegate David Albo, R-Springfield, was overhauled in the Senate to maintain existing local regulations until July 2007. "The main theme of the compromise is that we keep everything status quo for a year, and then we put these issues into a study," Albo said.

Zoning Law Corks Plans For Winery; Vintners Seeking Changes in County
Jenalia Moreno, Washington Post: March 24, 2005; Page PW01
Winemakers John Delmare and Chris Pearmund envision building Prince William County's first winery along the slopes of Bull Run Mountain. ... There's one problem: Local zoning laws permit vineyards, winemaking and even food, as long as it's packaged cheese and crackers. The existing laws don't allow such a business to prepare meals, however. So, before the proposed vineyard can bear its first fruits, the Board of County Supervisors would have to amend its zoning ordinances to permit food service.

Belmont residents say they won't sell
Keith Walker, Potomac News; March 3, 2006
Hell no, we won't go, was the prevailing sentiment among Belmont Community residents Wednesday night. Roughly 100 residents met to discuss Centex Homes' proposal to buy and raze their houses to make way for redevelopment.

Belmont homeowners warned
Keith Walker, Potomac News; March 14, 2006
Neighbors to the north have warnings for Belmont residents. Paul Rice and Bettie Pell, along with many of their Poplar Terrace neighbors in Fairfax County, signed contracts to sell their homes to Centex Homes three years ago. They were supposed to settle in January, but the deal fell through, Rice said. "Tell those people in Belmont , 'Don't do it,' " said Rice, a building inspector.

Winery at La Grange to Open Near Haymarket
Wine Business Monthly; February 15, 2006
Leading Virginia winemaker, vine grower and wine industry notable Chris Pearmund announced that he is leading a team of investors to establish a new vineyard and winery in Prince William County. The winery and vineyard will be named "Winery at La Grange" and will be located on the historic La Grange property on a 20-acre site only three miles from historic Haymarket. ... The Winery will have a tasting room, room for production and sales, outdoor recreation areas and will be able to accommodate tours, dinners and special events. Land at the Winery at La Grange will be planted to several different varieties, all farmed organically.

Prince William wants to freshen 'stale' zoning; Units approved 40 years ago now being built
Christy Goodman, D.C. Examiner; February 7, 2006
The county has more than 30,000 residential units of "stale zoning" that were approved as long ago as 40 years that "can be built at any time without any oversight by the county," said Sean Connaughton, chair of the Board of County Supervisors. … "Our tools are limited, but at the end of the day, even if we tried to [take more action], the courts might see differently," said Stephen Griffin, the county planning director.

Manassas Park Comprehensive Plan approved
Jaclyn Pitts, Potomac News; February 9, 2006
One change to the plan involves a 6.44-acre tract of land at the intersection of Andrew and Manassas drives. The land was proposed for commercial use in the new comprehensive plan, but the council voted to keep it designated for public use at residents' requests.

Big, but not alone
Springfield Times; February 8, 2006
At 800 residential units, KSI Service's Midtown Springfield development is most decidedly big. But, it's not alone. Here are some other communities developers are building or hoping to build in Fairfax County.

Prince William Probes Builders; Anonymous Letter Cites Soil Dangers
Nikita Stewart, Washington Post; February 12, 2006
Prince William County officials are investigating whether two major developers built houses on bad soil that could, over time, crack the foundations of the homes and possibly cause landslides. At issue are Port Potomac, a 982-home development in Woodbridge built by Vienna-based KSI Services, and Four Seasons at Historic Virginia, an 800-home retirement community built by national developer K. Hovnanian. Both projects are in eastern Prince William, long known for its marine clay, a temperamental soil that shrinks and swells depending on moisture.

Traffic and Density Worries Drive Debate on MetroWest
Lisa Rein, Washington Post February 9, 2006
The 2,250 homes Pulte Home Corp. would build just south of the Metro [on 56 acres, density about 40 homes/acre] would become one of Fairfax's densest developments and test the county's vision of what officials call transit-oriented development -- the concentration of homes, jobs, shopping and entertainment around train stations. Similar growth is planned for Tysons Corner when Metrorail comes to that area of the county.

Metrowest Quick Facts provided by developer Pulte Homes
Community Concerns about Metrowest Provided by the Fairfax Citizens for Responsible Growth

Commerce Bank sets sites on Washington-area expansion
Jeff Clabaugh, Washington Business Journal; January 30, 2006
Commerce Bank, which has said it would like as many as 200 branches in the Washington and Baltimore markets by 2010, has set its goal for 2006. The bank wants to open 10 to 15 branches in the Washington area this year. It has seven local branches currently in the District, Fairfax County, Alexandria and Prince William County. Commerce Bank will expand in those locales and add its first branches in Montgomery and Prince George's counties.

Harris Teeter, condos on tap for firm's Manassas project
Joe Coombs, Washington Business Journal; January 20, 2006
… The Bethesda-based developer has proposed a Harris Teeter-anchored retail complex and more than 200 residential units for a vacant parcel on the city's south side. … one company official said Opus East wants to bring the city's first Harris Teeter to the proposed 130,000-square-foot Hastings Marketplace at the juncture of the Prince William Parkway and Lake Jackson Drive. The 29-acre parcel, which Opus East owns, is one of the city's few remaining large plots of open space controlled by one owner, making it easier to plan a sizable development, says Liz Via, director of community development for Manassas.

County's first winery to open
Potomac News; December 30, 2005
The first wine from grapes grown at the Winery at La Grange won't be ready for tasting until the fall of 2007 but Chris Pearmund will open Prince William County's first winery in August. The historic La Grange farm in the foothills of the Bull Run Mountains, just west of Haymarket on Antioch Road, will be the site of the 20-acre vineyard.

Board defers Crescent proposal
Keith Walker, Potomac News; March 15, 2006
People were mainly interested in two of the comprehensive plan amendments before the Prince William Board of County Supervisors on Tuesday. At least 40 people stood during citizens' time at the board meeting, mostly to speak against an amendment to allow building on 23 acres at the American Legion Post at 3002 Jenny Lane and against an amendment to allow higher density development at the edge of the Rural Crescent. Supervisors deferred the first and took no action on the second.  

Rural crescent under fire
Jaclyn Pitts, Potomac News; March 8, 2006
Two comprehensive plan amendments are back from 2005 and plan to bring more than 1,000 homes to the Rural Crescent . One returning application is the Mid-County Semi-Rural Residential project proposed by developer Mark Granville-Smith.  

Rural Crescent again draws fire, support
Tara Slate Donaldson, Gainesville Times; March 17, 2006 It's been eight years since the Rural Crescent was created and the controversy still hasn't died down. On Tuesday, more than 100 people signed up to speak out on Comprehensive Plan amendments and most of the speakers were there either to criticize or to defend the county's agricultural area. Thirteen applicants have asked the Board of County Supervisors to change the long-range planning designations on their land, a move that usually precedes the construction of more homes. On Tuesday, the supervisors agreed to initiate nine of those amendments, including the controversial Avendale development in Nokesville.

Developer, residents discuss Rural Crescent
Jaclyn Pitts, Potomac News; February 10, 2006
One local developer is looking to develop two subdivisions within the Rural Crescent , a prospect he had attempted in 2005. … In addition to Granville-Smith's proposed Comprehensive Plan Amendment, 12 other amendments have been proposed, which will go before the Board of County Supervisors on March 14 to decide if there will be further review. Granville-Smith will meet with residents for discussion at 10 a.m. Feb. 18 at 12585 Bristow Road in Nokesville.

Builders Wedge Homes In on Oddly Shaped Lots June Fletcher, Wall Street Journal; March 16, 2006 … The shape of things to come in suburbia is... weird. After a real-estate boom that has made land in desirable neighborhoods scarce and expensive, more builders and homeowners are buying up the strips and scraps. It's the real-estate version of quilting. They're squeezing expensive homes onto properties once considered uninhabitable, and carving gerrymandered parcels out of wetlands and steep hillsides. Odd lots are also bringing in speculators, who are buying up tiny triangles and roadside strips at auction, then bundling them for resale and profit.

Officials oppose Crescent plan
Jaclyn Pitts, Potomac News; March 13, 2006
Developers are looking to take chunks out of the Rural Crescent with proposed comprehensive plan amendments, but the Prince William County planning staff thinks that might not be such a good idea. County planner Debrarae Karnes said the planning staff recommends the Prince William Board of County Supervisors not initiate a proposed amendment that plans to take more than 1,400 acres out of the crescent.

Zoning Laws Are Looser for Some Family Ties; Suburbs to Scrutinize Loopholes That Allow Dense Building
Nikita Stewart and Nancy Trejos , Washington Post; March 13, 2006
On the outskirts of the Washington region, where local officials have tried to protect farms and rural vistas from encroaching suburbia, more and more landowners are turning to a loophole that allows them to carve up their land for new houses. The measure -- often referred to as a family subdivision -- allows property owners to skirt zoning laws in rural areas and subdivide land for the use of their relatives. In Prince William and Montgomery counties, it has become a common practice, and officials in both localities are beginning to scrutinize it.

Crescent Exceptions Are Sought; Projects Would Surpass Allowed Density in Area
Nikita Stewart , Washington Post; March 12, 2006
… County planners are recommending that the board reject four proposals, including the one by Granville-Smith and area residents, without further study. Elena Schlossberg-Kunkel, a representative of Advocates for the Rural Crescent, said the county's annual process of considering amendments to the Comprehensive Plan conflicts with the blueprint itself.

Developer, residents discuss Rural Crescent
Jaclyn Pitts, Potomac News; February 10, 2006
One local developer is looking to develop two subdivisions within the Rural Crescent, a prospect he had attempted in 2005. … In his proposal, if the zoning designation is reinstated, 381 to 454 lots could be developed on the 540 acres of land he owns in the Crescent. Currently, about 190 lots can be developed with the 10-acre lot by-right regulation. Granville-Smith emphasized that 13 other Rural Crescent land and homeowners have agreed to join his amendment because they want to regain the value to their land as it was prior to the Rural Crescent designation in 1998.