SINCE 1976 THE FRIENDS OF DYKE MARSH WINTER 2008 Woodrow Wilson Bridge Project Wetland mitigation and other environmental aspects discussed oin the Friends on March 5 as we wel- J come Alexander E. Lee, AICP Com- munity Relations Manager, Woodrow Wilson Bridge Project and URS Corpora- tion, and Patrick DiNicola, Environmental Mitigation Manager of the Woodrow Wil- The Friends of Dyke Marsh son Bridge Project and RK&K Engineers. Alex will introduce the scope of the environmental aspects of this enormous FODM Quarterly Meeting project, which encompasses many differ- Wednesday, March 5, 2008 ent activities, from the moving of 340,000 7:30 p.m., Huntley Meadows cubic yards of dredged material to the Park, 3701 Lockheed Boule- creation, enhancement and restoration of View of a Woodrow Wilson Bridge Project wetland mitigation site (Prince William County, wetlands. Pat will discuss specifics of the vard, Alexandria, 22306. 703- Virginia) on the Silver property. This site has 768-2525. Free to all. mitigation process: how do you create a been completed and is in the five-year moni- wetland? He will also talk about the shore- toring phase. 2008 Annual Cleanup line strategy program and show what has April 5 - Annual Potomac been accomplished at a few of the in- environmental management. Patrick DiNi- process wetlands projects, for example, cola is a Project Scientist for RK&K Engi- Watershed Cleanup. 9 a.m. - Cameron Run, Hunting Point and the west neers in Baltimore, Maryland. In his cur- 12 noon. Meet at Belle Haven side of Washington Street, as well as the rent capacity, he serves as Environmental restrooms. Details on page 5. inclusion of threatened or endangered Mitigation Manager for the $2.4 billion wildlife in the planning process. Woodrow Wilson Bridge replacement Alex Lee had 14 years of consulting project. He is responsible for construction experience, including transportation plan- oversight on mitigation contracts in both CONTENTS ning, project development, mega-project Maryland and Virginia, and is also tasked design team management, all aspects of with managing post-construction monitor- The Marsh Wren’s Look 2 NEPA documentation, engineering alter- ing for over 50 completed mitigation sites. nate studies and extensive pro-active pub- Patrick began his career at the Maryland lic involvement. Prior to his work on the Department of the Environment and has President’s Message 3 Wilson Bridge Project he consulted for the been working in the environmental field Departments of Defense and Energy in for over 10 years. 2007 Fort Belvoir CBC 4 NPS Supt.’s Message 5 Senator, Congressman Support Dyke Marsh U. S. Senator Jim Webb wrote to National protect this extraordinary resource, we are New NPS Trail Patroller 6 Park Service Director Mary Bomar this undertaking an environmental impact past fall urging collaboration “in protect- statement (EIS) process . Internal ing this important natural treasure.” He agency funding requests have been sub- Get Involved - Be Active 6 said, “With our greater understanding of mitted for $500,000 in order to fund the the importance of wetland ecosystems, it EIS.” Washington, D.C. CBC 8 is important to preserve this national treas- Congressman Jim Moran urged NPS ure and the biodiversity it promotes.” She to designate Dyke Marsh’s restoration as a responded: “In order to appropriately (Continued on page 2) Centennial Challenge project. He wrote, “A restored A New Look for The Marsh Wren Dyke Marsh would support extraordinary biodiversity, provide more ecological services in a heavily-developed After many years of printing our newsletter with the same urban area and increase aesthetic, educational and recrea- format and in one color, we have given The Marsh Wren a tional opportunities for the nation.” Ms. Bomar responded new look. This change is in keeping with FODM’s goal that designating restoration of the marsh as a Centennial of more effectively communicating with our members and Challenge project is premature until the EIS is completed. the public. She wrote, “To protect this extraordinary resource appro- In 2006, FODM commissioned On the Edge, a docu- priately, we are undertaking an Environmental Impact mentary film about the marsh and need for its restoration. Statement (EIS) process . The EIS will enable the Na- In 2007, with the contributions of Dale Photo in Belle tional Park Service to develop a restoration plan for Haven, we redesigned and printed on a new surface our dredged areas at Dyke Marsh and a management plan for display panel, which is used at all functions where FODM future care.” is present. Thank you Senator Webb and Congressman Moran The Marsh Wren editor Dorothy McManus worked to for your support of Dyke Marsh. update the newsletter as well, asking FODM’s web page designer Duncan Hobart for assistance. We are using readily available software for the project. Our printer, Minuteman Press in S. Pickett Street, has offered to print a "When there is a conflict between full color newsletter costing only modestly more than pre- conserving resources unimpaired for sent costs. As FODM is a friend of the environment, the future generations and the use of newsletter is printed on recycled paper. The new design those resources, conservation will be makes more efficient use of the space available. More predominant." importantly, the new process of submitting a computer file Dirk Kempthorne, Secretary, to the printer will improve the print quality of the photo- U. S. Department of Interior, graphs, many of which are beautiful nature shots submit- June 19, 2006 proclamation. ted by FODM members. And finally, we want to bring to our readers in the best way possible the news and issues important to Dyke Marsh. As always, we welcome your comments. Friends of Dyke Marsh Board of Directors Editor: President - Glenda Booth .…………………………………703-765-5233, [email protected] Dorothy McManus Vice-President - Tony Morris ..……………………….571-431-9711, [email protected] Secretary - Dorothy McManus (The Marsh Wren)...703-960-3643, [email protected] Assistant Editor: Treasurer - Robert Smith .………………………………..703-684-7041, [email protected] T. D. Hobart Ed Eder (Past President) .……………………………...……..703-360-7994, [email protected] Kurt Gaskill (Field Trips) ……………………………... 703-768-2172, [email protected] Editorial address: Frank McKenna ………………………...…...…. 703-768-6083, [email protected] Friends of Dyke Marsh Barbara Perry (Membership) ……………………….. 703-765-8159, [email protected] John Perry …………………………………………...………. 703-329-1646, [email protected] P.O. Box 7183 Walter Bulmer (Research) ………………………………. 703-323-3226, [email protected] Alexandria, VA 22307 Barry Murphy ……………………………………………. 703-836-0888, [email protected] [email protected] Advisory Board: Jeb Byrne (At-Large) …………………………...………. 703-768-8224, [email protected] Visit our website at Larry Cartwright (Breeding Bird Survey) ……….…….. 703-941-3142, [email protected] www.fodm.org David W. Johnston (Environmental Biology Consultant) 703-425-2530, [email protected] Ed Risley (Founding Member, Chair Emeritus) ……………………………..……. 703-379-1159 for more information about Sandy Spencer (Research) ……………………………. 804-333-1470, [email protected] us, our programs and how you can join the FODM. The Marsh Wren is a quarterly publication of the Friends of Dyke Marsh, Inc., a nonprofit 501(c) (3) organization. Letters and submissions to The Marsh Wren are welcome. Send them to the Copyright © 2008, The editor at the address on the left. Board members can receive mail at this address as well. Special Friends of Dyke Marsh, thanks to Duncan Hobart for his assistance with our web page (www.fodm.org), and to Paula Inc. All rights reserved. Sullivan and Ed Eder for their photography contributions to The Marsh Wren and the website. Printed on recycled paper 2 The Marsh Wren ☼ Winter 2008 President’s Message BY GLENDA C. BOOTH MOU: On December 12, we sent comments and pro- posed extending our memorandum of understanding s Vice President Al Gore accepted the Nobel prize in (MOU) with the U. S. National Park Service and hope to A Oslo for his work to curb global warming, closer to be meeting with officials soon to discuss the details. home, both the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay got Reaching Out: I have reached out and allied with a grade of D for their health. This rating reinforces the several groups in an effort to spread the word about “our” worries that many of us have had about our environment wetland. I made presentations to the Environment and Rec- for some time and is further ammunition for preserving, reation Committee of the Mount Vernon Council of Citi- protecting and restoring Dyke Marsh. (For a restoration zen Associations and to the Mount Vernon Presbyterian update, be sure to read Superintendent David Vela’s mes- Church. With help from many others, I have prepared a sage on page 6. We thank NPS for their initiative.) power point presentation on Dyke Marsh. If you know of Here is a brief rundown on some of our recent efforts: groups that might like to hear it, let me know. Wren, Bittern Trends: In our fall newsletter, we re- Thank You: We send a big thank you to Mary Car- ported Larry Cartwright’s concerns about what may be a roll Potter, who is leaving us, for her years of work as decline in the Marsh Wren and Least Bittern populations in FODM's Program Coordinator. Mary Carroll has given Dyke Marsh. We have asked the National Park Service to many hours to arrangements, assistance and attention to devote some resources to this and to help us determine if in detail to bring us timely, interesting and inspiring lec- fact there are declines, and if so, the causes and solutions. tures. If you have suggestions for programs, contact us at Our research chairman, Walter Bulmer, is also proposing a FODM. And again, a big thank you to Mary Carroll for research project to better understand the birds’ status.