Access to wildlife shelter sought

There is a wildlife refuge beyond the railroad tracks in Woodbridge and it could soon be opened to the public.

A new comprehensive conservation plan that officials are expected release in mid-September, which would govern how the Featherstone National Wildlife Refuge is managed for the next 15 years, could pave the way for public access to the natural haven.

But opening the refuge comes with challenges.

“I was pleased to learn that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service intends to open the refuge to public access. However, I am concerned that the opening of the refuge could be delayed indefinitely by contingencies related to designated parking, compilation of trails and designated access,” stated Rep. Gerald E. “Gerry” Connolly, D-11^th in a July 15 letter to the fish and wildlife service.

The lack of trails, public facilities or access for the disabled should not delay opening the property to the public, his letter states.

Once the plan is released, it will be opened to a public hearing process where residents can weigh-in on the future of the refuge.

There is added community interest in this plot of land because the expanding Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail is slated to cut through the refuge.

Sitting on 325 acres of land between Featherstone Road and Neabsco Creek to the north and south, respectively, and between the CSX railroad shared with Virginia Railway Express to the west and the Potomac River to the east, the refuge is a tidal marsh that is home to an upland forest with oak and pine trees, and wildlife such as shorebirds and waterfowl.

Residents have not legally been allowed on the property since the refuge was established in 1979.

The threat of trespassing on federal land, however, hasn’t stopped them.

“As long as we can remember the good ole’ boys of Woodbridge have come down here and ridden ATVs and camped and have had no idea that the land is owned by the federal government,” said Kevin Parker, a tour guide who helped to lead about 25 people on a hike around Featherstone on Saturday morning.

Five years ago, federal officials forced a group of illegal immigrants who had been living on the refuge off of the land. That action became the impetus for hiring a law enforcement agent to patrol the area.

Among the towering trees, green vines and monarch butterflies that could be seen floating around the picturesque landscape, there was also broken glass, cans, plastic bottles and a pair of painters’ pants lying on the ground.

If the refuge was open to the public, the hope is that more people would learn about it and volunteer to care for it.

“People in Northern Virginia love to go watch wildlife, just look at all of the people who came out here this morning to this tour,” said Kim Hosen, executive director of the Prince William Conservation Alliance. “If we open this land to the public, it wouldn’t require an investment in new trails and we may get new stewards who would care for the refuge.”

Those caretakers could come from all over, as many who took the tour–like Lori Moore who owns an auto repair shop in Woodbridge and has lived here since the 1970s–saw the refuge for the first time.

“I’m a Girl Scout leader and there’s really no where around here to bring my Girl Scout troop, other than to the pool,” said Moore. “We have to teach young people that life is more than just being around concrete, or running up to D.C. to see a baseball game, or going to the pool. We have to teach them to protect our environment.”

The Featherstone National Wildlife is managed, along with the nearby Occoquan Bay and Mason Neck refuges, by six U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employees. They are responsible for trail maintenance, overseeing the wild habitat, maintaining public facilities and a host of other responsibilities, said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service spokeswoman Dafny Hoskie.

Hoskie could not say how many more employees would be needed if the refuge is opened for public use.

The Featherstone refuge is the only one of the three that remains closed to the public.