Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck NWR - Lorton VA - National Wildlife Refuges on Waymarking.com

From their website in part:

Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck NWR-Virginia--
Eighteen miles south of Washington D.C., on the banks of the Potomac River, lies a peninsula known as Mason Neck. Here, on February 1, 1969, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service created the first national wildlife refuge established specifically for the protection of our nation’s symbol, the bald eagle. Once on the brink of extinction, the bald eagle enjoys the safety of the refuge’s forests and shoreline for nesting and foraging along the upper portions of the Potomac River and its tributaries.

Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge is adjacent to a rapidly growing metropolitan area where habitat is constantly altered. The refuge provides wildlife a relatively remote area of upland forests and freshwater marshes extending into the Potomac River. Refuge habitats host over 211 bird species, more than 200 plant species, 31 mammal species, and 40 species of reptiles and amphibians. The refuge is home to Great Marsh, a 207 acre tidal freshwater marsh, and one of Virginia’s largest breeding great blue heron colonies. Common species observed include bald eagle, wood thrush, white-tailed deer, groundhog, and wood duck.

The refuge’s purposes are as follows:

To conserve fish, wildlife, or plants which are listed as endangered or threatened species.
Protection of natural resources and incidental fish and wildlife-orientated recreational development.
Carrying out the national migratory bird management program.
For use as an inviolate sanctuary, or for any other management purpose, for migratory birds.

Refuge Location
High Point Road
Lorton, VA 22079

Refuge Headquarters Office
12638 Darby Brooke Ct.
Woodbridge, VA 22192
703-490-4979

ELIZABETH HARTWELL
In the early 1960’s a developer sought out land on Mason Neck to build a planned community and airport. Elizabeth van Laer Speer Hartwell, a local resident, who valued the pristine nature of the peninsula, organized an effort to stop this development. She recognized the potential of the Mason Neck peninsula as a safe haven for the endangered bald eagles along the Potomac River. Armed with enthusiasm and a gift for writing and public speaking, her citizen crusade convinced key Federal, state, and local officials the value of protecting the Neck and the bald eagle for future generations. Elizabeth Hartwell’s steadfast work resulted in the establishment of the Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge in 1969 earning her the nickname of “The Eagle Lady”. On August 6, 2006, Congress approved a name change for the refuge to the Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge in her honor.

NWR or Protected Planet Website: [Web Link] Point of Interest (POI): Trail Head

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Date Logged Log User Rating   10/24/2021 Don.Morfe visited it