Four Mile Run/Chesapeake Bay Watershed Will be Undermined by NOVA Parks' Plans to Expand Parking Lots at Upton Hill Regional Park June 11, 2018 Power Point and Letter to Arlington County Board, Arlington Commissions and Other Interested Organizations
Significant tree-Cutting Concerns at Upton Hill Park June 3, 2018 Power Point and Letter to the Urban Forestry Commission on Concerns about 24 Mature Trees to be Cut Down, NOVA Parks Plans for Playground Renovation and New Parking Lot
Other power-points
Existing parking lot empty most of the year, nearby parking lots underutilized - March 2018
Mature trees in danger from "improvements" to existing parking lot and playground - March 2018
Existing hill is pleasant greenspace in summer and sledding hill in winter - March 2018
New car entrance road for new parking lot on lower level will go through Resource Protection Area (RPA) - March 2018
What the People Want in their Parks: According to a National Parks and Recreation Association survey, as of 2017: Americans agree that local government should set aside land for the sheer purpose of preserving the natural landscape. This support crosses people of all ages, genders, regions, household size, and parental status.
Key Findings:
Eighty-two percent of Americans agree it is important that their local government sets aside land for the sheer purpose of preserving the natural landscape.
Two in three people believe that setting aside land for the sheer purpose of preserving the natural environment is very or extremely important.
Nearly seven in 10 Millennials feel it is very or extremely important for local governments should set aside land for the sheer purpose of preserving the natural environment.
NOVA Parks' plan goes against County environmental policies for preservation of greenspace and promotion of alternate modes of transportation. Arlington County's Master Transportation Plan has a Transportation Vision that says: Arlington’s vision of transportation is a system that provides equity and access to all users. It involves concentrating investment in ways that yield the greatest good not only from a transportation standpoint, but also for overall quality of life of Arlington residents and workers. Arlington’s vision for its transportation system also supports community efforts to improve our natural environment and achieve better public health and fitness. Goal 6 -- Advance Environmental Sustainability -- calls for reducing: "the impact of travel on community resources including air and water quality, and increase energy efficiency. A strategy for this is: "Minimize the creation of impervious surface area for streets and other transportation facilities, and manage the collection and release of runoff in an effective and environmentally sensitive manner." Arlington County also seeks to promote a car free diet.
Protecting the Chesapeake Bay: Preserving park land in the park -- and not putting down more concrete and asphalt -- is good for those of us who visit it, but also for the Cheasepeake Bay. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation notes, "According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), urban and suburban stormwater is the source of about 15 percent of the total nitrogen entering the Bay, and is the only source that is still increasing. In some rivers it makes up an even higher percentage of the problem. It is one of the major reasons that the Bay remains on EPA's "dirty waters" list and is now subject to the Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint. (Polluted Runoff -- The Gray Funnel of the Chesapeake). For more on protecting the Cheasepeake Bay see: The Chesapeake Legal Alliance and Chesapeake Bay Program. See CBF's critically acclaimed 10 minute short film: The Incredible Oyster Reef.
County Residents Have Big Needs for Parks and Recreation (Arlington County, March 24, 2016): A key highlight from the ETC statistically valid survey of residents was "Hiking trails, natural areas and wildlife habitats, and paved multi-use trails are the top outdoor community recreation priorities."
Peter’s Take: Open Spaces Plan Needs a Lot More Work (Arlnow, March 15, 2018): "A major flaw in the current draft is its failure even to discuss the most reliable evidence of Arlington residents’ preferences for parks and recreation improvements. That evidence is captured in the cross-tabs of the statistically-valid ETC survey. "Each age group was asked to rank their priorities 1-8 for park and recreation system improvements. Every age group, as well as every geographic group, even households with children, came up with the same top two choices for improving our park and recreation system: Preserve trees and natural areas [and] acquire new parkland for passive–as opposed to active–uses"
Arlington Environmental Group Disputes Arlington’s Tree Canopy Study (Arlnow, April 16, 2018): The tree canopy study found that, from 2011-2016, the tree canopy increased one percent to 41 percent. The Arlington Tree Action Group claims that the two percent margin of error on the county’s study cancels out its findings. A press release from the tree group also notes that the county failed “to emphasize a decrease from the 43 percent recorded in 2008.”
U.S. Cities Lose Tree Cover Just When They Need It Most: Urbanization is on the rise; so is the urban heat island effect—a situation that is worsening with the decline of tree cover in U.S. metropolitan areas (Scientific American, May 7, 2018).