When: Monday, March 21, 7:00 pm

Where: McCoart Government Center Board Chambers, One County Complex, Woodbridge

The U.S. Government has owned the property that is now the Featherstone National Wildlife Refuge for more than forty years. Dove's Landing, located along the Occoquan River has been owned by Prince William County since 1996. Lake Manassas is an 800 acre water supply reservoir owned by the City of Manassas. 

These three publicly owned properties have one thing in common. Although they are valuable potential resources for recreational and educational uses, they are all closed to the public.

Why not use properties that are already owned by the citizens when there is little or no risk of harming the wildlife and environment and the cost of access is relatively low? What are appropriate uses for publicly owned refuges and vacant land? What are the minimum improvements and staffing needed to open these properties to the public? 

These are some of the questions to be addressed by a panel of regional experts at the 2011 Annual Conservation Forum Public Access to Public Lands.

AGENDA

Moderator –Kim Hosen, Executive Director, Prince William Conservation Alliance

Rob Hartwell - Chairman of the Elizabeth Hartwell Environmental Education Fund, a Commissioner on the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin and a board member and past President of the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority Foundation. 

Gerry Connolly - U.S. Congress, 11th District.

Mike Kane - Land Conservation Officer with the Piedmont Environmental Council and Chairman of the Washington Smart Growth Alliance Conservation Program.

Charlie Grymes - Chairman of Prince William Conservation Alliance and teaches Geography at George Mason University. Charlie retired from the Dept. of Interior in 2007.

Q&A and Community Discussion with all speakers.