Anthony Griffin, the Fairfax County Executive, has asked the Park Authority to prepare a budget proposal for FY11 with a 15% additional cut to the current budget! These proposed cuts will be submitted and reviewed by Mr. Griffin and the FC Board of Supervisors in November and December. If the full 15% cut is adopted, then RMD will lose (abolish) 10-13 positions, at least half of these will be at the sites, which will mean reduced hours at parks, staff working at more than one park, and RMD projects abolished and/or reduced.

The Park Authority and the Public Libraries are the only two agencies in Fairfax County that are being asked for a proposed 15% cut. All other agencies are being asked for an average of 3%. Apparently, Mr. Griffin believes that Parks and Libraries are discretionary. The current budgets of these two agencies comprise less than 2% of the total county budget.

It is crucial that you contact Mr. Griffin, the County Board of Supervisors, and the Park Authority Board and let them know that these kind of cuts are not what the County Taxpayers want. We need to impress upon them that they need to support ways to increase revenue. Suggestions such as increasing the property tax rate, reinstating the FC vehicle sticker fee, and allowing parks to charge parking fees should all be considered.

The Friends groups at the RMD sites are doing what they can to fill in some of the gaps left from cuts. They are raising money to hire interns, to provide funds for seasonal salaries, and to support programs and resource management projects. An additional 15% cut will have a noticeable impact on services at the parks.

The Park Authority and RMD have worked hard over the past 2-3 years to increase their revenue. Currently about 60% of their budget is revenue supported and 40% tax supported. The Resource Management Division is tasked with a major part of the Park Authority Mission, which includes the purchase and management of open space and cultural sites within Fairfax County for the use and educational benefit of it's citizens. These natural and cultural sites are of great value to the education of our residents and require support from the taxpayers, just as schools do.

Please take the time to contact the Board of Supervisors, Park Authority Board members, and Anthony Griffin, the County Executive. Contact info is below. If you have any media contacts and/or would like to write a letter to local newspapers, do it! We need to get the word out as quickly as possible! If you know any young people who want to get involved and write letters and emails, please encourage them! I think this would be a great community service!

This is our chance to make a difference - Take it!

Thank you!
Kathi McNeil,
President, FOHMP

Anthony Griffin, Fairfax County Executive
703-324-2531
www.fairfaxcounty.gov/cex/

Sharon Bulova, Chairman, FC Board of Supervisors
703-324-2321
chairman@fairfaxcounty.gov

Jeff McKay, Lee District Supervisor
703-971-6262
www.fairfaxcounty.gov/lee/

Ed Batten, Park Authority Boardmember for Lee District
William Bouie, Chairman, PA Board
Contact through Judy Pederson at 703-324-8662
parkmail@fairfaxcounty.gov

Submissions due between November 1st and 15th.
Reception 2-4 p.m. Sunday, December 13th.
Photos on exhibit through February 28th in the auditorium

Park Manager Walk & Talk
and Wetland Project Update

- One Saturday each month -
Meet in the Huntley Meadows Park visitor center
(off Lockhead Blvd.)

The Walk and Talk is taking a few months off.
Please check back in February for new schedule.

Join park manager Kevin Munroe on a walk. Share questions and concerns about the park, find out about the wetlands restoration project and look for the wildlife for which the park is well known.
Reservations required.
FREE

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Nestbox Monitoring Program

Wood Ducks
and
Hooded Mergansers

Final Season Report
June 14, 2009

I did a last spot check on the 14th to cover boxes #2 and #68, which both hatched out.

Our totals are down a little bit from last year, which had seen a big spike in Wood Duck activity. In 2009, we had 4 Hooded Merganser nests, 3 of which hatched out; 39 eggs laid, 29 hatched. We had 5 Wood Duck nests, all of which hatched out; 61 eggs laid, 59 hatched.

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For more information on the monitoring program and historical records at Huntley Meadows, please visit nouveau.home.

3701 Lockheed Blvd.
Alexandria, Va. 22306
703-768-2525

Operated by the Fairfax County Park Authority , Huntley Meadows is forever preserved in a natural state for hiking, biking, wildlife watching, relaxing and discovering.

Facilities include a Visitor Center with exhibits and auditorium, a 1/2 mile boardwalk wetland trail, 2-mile interpretive trail system and wildlife observation tower

Click Here for Visitor Center Hours and Directions to the Park .