But just when it seemed Crow's Nest would be preserved in perpetuity, the future of the historic and environmentally unique peninsula is once again uncertain.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service turned down an internal request to include the land in its national wildlife refuge system.

"We believe Crow's Nest is a tremendous site and it should be protected," said Andrew French, chief of real estate for the Fish and Wildlife Service's regional office. "But what we're wrestling with is that there are limited funds for operating and maintaining the site."

Nestled between Potomac and Accokeek creeks, the nearly 4,000-acre site was slated to become a large-scale housing and commercial development in 1967. But its rugged terrain and lack of sewer and water services made that impractical.

The land could be timbered or developed residentially.

For nearly a year, the land's owner, K&M Properties in McLean, has negotiated the sale of the land to the Fish and Wildlife Service.

But according to the agency's acting director Marshall Jones, the National Wildlife Refuge System has a backlog of maintenance projects totaling $831 million and unfunded operational needs totaling more than $1.1 billion.

As a result, the Washington office is asking French to provide a detailed breakdown on what it would cost to maintain Crow's Nest if it's purchased.

"We need to take a business approach to this," French said. "We don't want to rob Peter to pay Paul to such an extent that it causes a decline in the [national wildlife refuge] system."

Currently, the federal wildlife refuge system includes 94 million acres nationwide.

Local preservationists and the Stafford County Board of Supervisors say Crow's Nest would be a worthy addition to the system.

Five miles long and about a mile and a half wide, Crow's Nest has nearly 10 miles of undisturbed shoreline.

The property includes a tapestry of mature hardwood trees, ravine forests and forested wetlands. If the pristine nature of the property and its biodiversity weren't enough, it also has a storied past.