Greater Washington National Park Stream Habitat Restoration Opportunities

Greater Washington National Park Stream Habitat Restoration Opportunities

The Greater Washington National Parks Fund requests the Lockheed Martin Company to assist National Park Service managers and community leaders in the restoration of streams flowing into the Potomac River to help the Chesapeake Bay restoration effort.

Purposes:

* Support high priority Chesapeake Bay stream habitat restoration projects on National Park lands.

* Join with NPS, and community partners, to help save the Chesapeake Bay by restoring streams to improve water quality, buffer waves, detoxify waste, prevent soil erosion, provide fish and wildlife habitat, and create opportunities for nature-based recreation.

* Demonstrate to the public NPS's and Lockheed-Martin's commitment to global and local needs through a state-of-the-art systems-based approach to ecological engineering, indigenous plantings and using volunteers to improve the health of National Parks and this part of the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Background:

In 1999 the Director of the National Park Service, while speaking at a Potomac River Day celebration, said that the park managers of the Greater Washington region will strive to be exemplary of what it means to be good land and water stewards within the Potomac River watershed. This statement reflected a desire by NPS to contribute to a larger Chesapeake Bay restoration effort and provide federal leadership through partnerships in a quiet and enabling way.

One priority for NPS stewardship efforts is the restoration of streams and riverfronts that have been disturbed or degraded by human use or changing environmental conditions. These stream segments are important to National Parks, as well as the lands and waters adjacent to parklands, because they are the natural systems that provide habitat for fish, plants and living resources, they protect parklands from flooding, they filter contaminants, prevent soil erosion, and create opportunities for recreation. These stream corridors are important parts of a "green infrastructure" that is essential for the health of the park's fiscal condition.

Stream habitat restoration returns an area that has been degraded to its approximate condition prior to disturbance. It requires biologists, hydrologists, ecologists, environmental engineers, park planners, and other community leaders to work together to redesign these areas with nature. Such efforts are dependent upon partnership approaches that rely on good science, advanced technology, and community support and engineering excellence.

Recipients:
In response to habitat disturbance within National Parks, as well as throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed, the Greater Washington Park Superintendents and the Chesapeake Bay leaders identified the following projects as high priority for habitat restoration projects. One or more of these projects could serve as a partnership project between NPS and Lockheed Martin.

Prince William Forest Park, VA- Stream restoration and riparian forest buffer work on Quantico Creek as part of a mine tailings restoration.

Catoctin Mountain Park, MD ‑ Conversion of in‑park sewage lagoons into wetland areas to aid in storm water and erosion management.

National Capital Parks‑Central, DC ‑ Wetland restoration in the riparian buffer area along the Potomac River.

Manassas National Battlefield Park, VA ‑ Completion of riparian restoration along Young's Branch.

Antietam National Battlefield, MD ‑ Restoration of stream bank along Snavely Ford Trail to address habitat concerns and avoid moving the trail.

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, WV ‑ Restoration of wetland damaged by blowout of gravel road embankment during the 1996 flood to previous state.

C&O Canal National Historical Park, MD ‑ Restoration and re‑vegetation of storm water retention sites developed as part of flood recovery program.

Rock Creek Park, DC ‑ Technical assistance to design Best Management Practice structures to prevent pollution runoff to local streams including a sand filter‑oil/grit separator for installation in
storm water lines and a truck washing pad for maintenance vehicles.


Advantages:

-Habitat restoration on National Park streams offers a unique opportunity to combine the technology, services and resources of the National Park Service with Lockheed Martin. Site-specific restoration projects are a way to team-up the oldest and most renown conservation agency in the Nation with a private corporation globally known for advanced technology excellence.

-Stream restoration projects will achieve maximum exposure for Lockheed Martin's contribution. The parks selected for this partnership are urban and some of the most visited in the National Parks System. They are within close proximity to sectors of the public that are interested in the internationally recognized Chesapeake Bay restoration effort, fish and wildlife habitat and new ecological engineering methods.

-The project(s) will leverage other funds and assistance through partnerships with governments, volunteer organizations, schools, and businesses.

For More Information: Contact Glenn Eugster, Assistant Regional Director, Partnerships Office at (202) 619-7492. By E-mail write: glenn_eugster@nps.gov