(Fwd) Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge Becomes Reality

Norm Saunders (osprey@ARI.Net)
Wed, 1 Jul 1998 19:05:54 -0500 

For immediate release            For further information, contact
June 26, 1998               Greg Weiler (FWS) 703/690-1297 or 
                       Todd Waltemyer (Army) 703/490-2511

     Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge Becomes Reality
Woodbridge Transfer From Army to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Announced
Today

     Officials signed documents today transferring ownership of 586 acres
     of the
Army Research Laboratory's (formerly the Harry Diamond Laboratories)
Woodbridge Research Facility from the U.S. Army to the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service for reuse as a national wildlife refuge, according to
Todd Waltemyer, Defense Department base transition coordinator.

     "Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge will open to the public soon
     with a 
walking trail and opportunities for wildlife-oriented nature study,
hiking, bird watching and photography," said Gregory Weiler, manager of
Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge which will oversee the new refuge near
Woodbridge, Va.

     "We have entrance signs ready to be installed, we have hired a
     biologist to
staff the refuge, and we will hire an outdoor recreation planner," Weiler
continued. In addition, Service engineers are converting the former guard
house on Dawson Beach Road to a refuge visitor contact station.

     More than a year ago, the Service began working on a comprehensive
     plan to 
guide wildlife management and environmental education on the new refuge.
"The time we spent developing a solid plan will help ensure a better
refuge for fish, wildlife and their habitats, and for people to enjoy,"
Weiler said.

     The Woodbridge facility, owned by the Army since 1949, was closed in
September 1994 as part of the 1991 Defense Base Realignment and Closure,
explained Waltemyer. Although ownership of the land has transferred at no
cost to the Service, the Army will continue its program of environmental
restoration on several small parcels of the site.  The Army will
communicate the progress of its restoration program to the public through
mailings and periodic meetings.

     As this work is completed, additional areas on the refuge will be
     available
for recreational use. "We may be able to open an auto tour route in the
near future," said Weiler.

     The new refuge's name, "Occoquan," is of Dogue Indian derivation and
     means 
"at the end of the water." 

      The Service manages the National Wildlife Refuge System, the most
extensive network of land and water in the world for conserving and
managing fish, wildlife and plant resources.  The system owes its genesis
to President Theodore Roosevelt, who established Pelican Island National
Wildlife Refuge in 1903 in Florida. Now the United States protects nearly
93 million acres in 514 refuges, at least one in every state. 

                           - FWS - Army -

===============
Norm Saunders
Colesville, MD
osprey@ari.net