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On behalf of the Trust For Crow's Nest Advisory Board, I wish to clarify to the public and the lovers of the Crow's Nest peninsula the recent United States Fish and Wildlife Service's decision to deny approval for the acquisition of this 3,800-acre treasure of nature.
To facilitate the purchase of the land as a new National Wildlife Refuge, the Trust For Crow's Nest Advisory Board was formed to overcome the obstacle of a national backlog in funding for operations and management of National Wildlife Refuge Systems. The Trust offered the United States Fish and Wildlife Service a unique funding partnership. For the first time, private citizens would raise the money to endow the operation and maintenance costs of public land.
This Washington denial of approval of authorization for the acquisition is but a small obstacle in the larger picture, for there are other avenues to seek the funding needed.
The good news is that we not only have the political support of 1st District Congresswoman Jo Ann Davis, who has championed the cause of Crow's Nest, and the Stafford County Board of Supervisors, but there has been a groundswell of public sentiment, from elementary students to Capitol Hill, to save this land for future generations to enjoy.
The Trust for Crow's Nest is more determined now than ever to preserve this peninsula. I wish to give you our pledge that this will be done. Information on the preservation of the Crow's Nest peninsula can be found online at nvct.org/crowsnest or at 371-2030.
John D. Mitchell
Stafford
John D. Mitchell is chairman of Trust For Crow's Nest.