Where Eagles Dare
One Woman?s Quest to Make a Difference
Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge is a 2,277-acre parcel, encompassing approximately
2,000 acres of mature hardwood forest, the largest freshwater marsh in northern
Virginia, and nearly six miles of shoreline. Because of this unique blend of
surroundings, Mason Neck supports a vast diversity of wildlife throughout the
year to more than 223 species of birds, including the southern bald eagle, 26
kinds of mammals and 15 species of reptiles that live in the peninsula's
unspoiled marshes and forests.? This incredible wilderness on the outskirts of
Washington, DC, is the result of one woman?s hard work and perseverance to
protect a national treasure, the Bald Eagle.
Who was the
local environmentalist responsible for the salvation of this national
treasure?? Elizabeth Hartwell, one woman with the notion to preserve the land
that is home to our national symbol of freedom.?
Liz led a successful citizens crusade to preserve the Mason Neck peninsula in the 60?s and for almost 20 years, spearheaded opposition to numerous proposals, plans and requests for building, dredging, excavating and other construction in the Mason Neck area. Those efforts led to the establishment of the more than five thousand acres including, Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge, Mason Neck State Park and Pohick Bay Regional Park.?
The land was set aside to protect the nesting habitat
of the last breeding pair of the American Bald Eagle in our area and Mason Neck
National Wildlife Refuge is the only refuge dedicated solely for the protection
of the bald eagle.? Through the efforts of Liz Hartwell, we now have over 100
Bald Eagles in the area and a thriving Blue Heron population that has grown
from 30 Nests to well over 1500 Nests since the founding of Mason Neck National
Wildlife Refuge in 1969.
As a resident
of the Mason Neck area, nature was a part of Liz?s daily living. Great Blue
Herons flew overhead, and egrets nested nearby. The bright eyes of deer and
other animals gleamed in the forests. In the dead of winter, foxes and raccoons
came by looking for food. Muskrats ate clams from the shore and lined up the
empty shells and eagles soared overhead.
In a 13-foot boat with a shallow draft, Liz explored
the byways of the Great Marsh and the creeks that ran from Mason Neck into
Gunston Cove, the Potomac and Occoquan Bay, like fingers extending from a hand.
Liz
Hartwell?s efforts came at a time when a population explosion in Washington's
suburbs sent land values soaring and intensified pressure for development. But
they also coincided with the early stages of the environmental movement, when
pressure was building to protect habitat.?
Liz
began her efforts in 1965 after learning of a rezoning application for the
satellite city of 20,000.
During
ensuing weeks and months, she wrote hundreds of letters, made hundreds of
telephone calls, organized a watchdog group called the Conservation Committee
for Mason Neck and enlisted the support of environmental organizations at the
local, regional, state and federal level.
She
gave speeches, attended hearings and workshops, made a movie featuring the
scenic and recreational qualities of the area and made a general pest of
herself to developers who saw Mason Neck, which extends into the Potomac River
just below Fort Belvoir, as a prime target for lucrative housing and commercial
development.?
She
arranged a helicopter fly-over of eagle nests for high-level federal officials
to win their support, and she conducted boat tours of the Great Marsh and other
waterways for local elected officials and journalists.
She helped
influence former interior secretary Stewart Udall and the Interstate Commission
on the Potomac River Basin to oppose rezoning proposals that would have
increased housing density on Mason Neck.
Later,
Liz would serve on the Northern Virginia Potomac River Basin Commission, the
Fairfax County Wetlands Board and the Virginia Board of Agriculture. She had
been vice chairman of the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority and
chairman of the Citizens Council for a Clean Potomac.
In 1967, she won the Conservation Award of the
National Capital Area Federation of Garden Clubs and in 1971 was named Fairfax
County Citizen of the Year by the Washington Star newspaper.
Liz Hartwell has made an indelible impact on all of
our lives through her hard work and perseverance.? Because of Liz, our rich
history, the historical land of our founding fathers and the habitat of our
national symbol of freedom are all safe for generations to come.? One person
can make a difference and Liz Hartwell is proof of that.? Through tenacity,
dedication and conviction, each and every one of us can go where eagles dare.?
For
more information contact:
George
W. Hyatt
New York
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