Articles

Below you will find an extensive resource of articles concerning Crow's Nest. We pride ourselves at Savecrowsnest.com to be fair to all parties regardless of their position on the issues at hand. Therefore, our researchers have found these articles which represent several views but, do not necessarily represent our position at Savecrowsnest.com.

9/11/05 Washington Post, By Michelle Boorstein
Purchase of Bird Refuge Is at Issue in Campaigns
 
9/14/05 Free Lance Star, Marilyn and Richard Ayres
Lose Crow's Nest and lose Stafford's individuality
 
12/2/05 Free Lance Star, Meghann Cotter
Trust eyes Crow’s Nest
 
1/3/06 Free Lance Star, Jodi Bizar
Outgoing Stafford supervisor reflects on term
 
1/4/06 Free Lance Star, Meghann Cotter
High Court panel nixes land appeal
 
1/6/06 Free Lance Star, Meghann Cotter
Brito wants development controlled
 
1/6/06 Free Lance Star, R. Marc Fast
Kaine, save Crow’s Nest
 
1/6/06 Free Lance Star, AP
Feather for The Nest
 
1/7/06 Free Lance Star, Meghann Cotter
Crow’s Nest in court
 
1/8/06 Free Lance Star, Frank Sutherland
We’re worrying about Crow’s Nest while people suffer
 
1/8/06 Free Lance Star, Meghann Cotter
Milde wants new connections
 
1/11/06 Free Lance Star, Meghann Cotter
judge rejects review of Crows Nest plans
 
1/12/06 Free Lance Star, Meghann Cotter
Crow’s Nest kicked back to planners
 
1/14/06 Free Lance Star, Ruth Finch
DEEP Roots Colorful White Oak activists
 
1/17/06 Free Lance Star, Stephen Despres
Property rights slip away as 'good causes' intrude
 
1/18/06 Free Lance Star, Meghann Cotter
Stafford speeds work on Crow’s nest ordinance
 
1/19/06 Free Lance Star, Jay B. Jackson
Property rights abridged? Read the Kelo decision with care
 
1/20/06 Free Lance Star, Helen Sanders
Environmental issues, conservation do affect poor
 
1/21/06 Free lance Star, Meghann Cotter
Peninsulas may meet entirely different fates
 
1/22/06 Free Lance Star, Phil Farnum
Crow’s Nest backers consolidate their efforts
 
1/26/06 Free Lance Star, Meghann Cotter
Crow’s Nest plan rejected
 
1/31/06 Free Lance Star, Belinda Casto-Landolt
Dig into Crow’s Nest: You’ll find 10,000 years of Stafford history
 
2/3/06 Free Lance Star, Meghann Cotter
Developer mounts Crow’s Nest appeal
 
2/7/06 Free Lance Star, Meghann Cotter
Stafford eyes roads
 
2/7/06 Free Lance Star, H. Clark Leming
Subterfuge afoot in Stafford officials' recent Crow's Nest decision
 
2/7/06 Free Lance Star, Meghann Cotter
Court hearing on Crow’s Nest appeal postponed
 
2/8/06 Free Lance Star, Meghann Cotter
Stafford to rehash water, sewer regulations
 
2/13/06 Free Lance Star, Susan Deopp
No virtue in ruining land for profit
 
2/28/06 Free Lance Star, Rusty Dennen
Conservation tools get a closer look Easements are gaining ground around Virginia
 
3/12/06 Free Lance Star, Catherine K. Cheek
Our national forests need federal protection
 
3/14/06 Free Lance Star, Janet Obert
‘Vision’ of a developed Crow’s Nest is a real nightmare
 
3/22/06 Free Lance Star, Meghann Cotter
Offer on Crow’s Nest
 
3/22/06 Free Lance Star, Meghann Cotter
Stafford developers criticize supervisors
 
3/22/06 Free Lance Star, Niche Herman
County offers to buy Crow’s Nest
 
3/23/06 Free Lance Star, Meghann Cotter
Crow’s Nest offer $27 million
 
3/26/06 Free Lance Star, AP
Option B
 
3/27/06 Free Lance Star, Jay Cooke
Schools are merely one item that Stafford must weigh
 
4/4/06 Free Lance Star, Meghann Cotter
Rugged roads ahead
 
4/10/06 Free Lance Star, Cathy Dyson
Herons using Crow's Nest for their own
 
4/23/06 Free Lance Star, Whitney Bailey
Great Blue Herons need protection- -and privacy
 
4/30/06 Free Lance Star, John D. Mitchell
Thanks to Jo Ann Davis, who fights the good fight
 
5/24/06 Free Lance Star, Meghann Cotter.
“Crows Nest offer is 30.5 million”
 
5/26/06 Free Lance Star, AP
Crow’s Nest: Doable?
 
6/9/06 Free Lance Star, James Hughes
Stafford, fund schools instead of Crow’s Nest
 
6/20/06 Free Lance Star, Wanda Cushing
Saving Crow’s nest instead of schools? What a waste!
 
6/21/06 Free Lance Star, Meghann Cotter
Crow’s Nest to be condemned
 
6/22/06 Free Lance Star, Meghann Cotter
Court will set price for Nest
 
6/25/07 Free Lance Star, AP
Sanctuary
 
6/25/06 Free Lance Star, Kathryn Purinton
Parents, quit whining- I already pay too much for your kids
 
7/1/06 Free Lance Star, Dr. F. Baldwin Harrington Jr.
Crow’s Nest is well worth saving, whatever it takes
 
7/1/06 Free Lance Star, Mary-Rose Dundon
Letter –writer is missing the bigger picture
 
7/3/06 Free Lance Star, James A. Moncure
Can we all just get along for a while?
 
7/5/06 Free Lance Star, Christopher Grey Jr.
Education saves society from plunge into ‘cesspool’
 
7/6/06 Free Lance Star, Peg Wilcutt
A mean-spirited attitude won’t help Crow’s Nest
 
7/30/06 Free Lance Star, Rusty Dennen
Nature of the 'Nest' Reports cite Stafford peninsula's assets
 
8/1/06 Free Lance Star, George Whitehurst
County late filing accepted
 
9/6/06 Free Lance Star, Meghan Cotter
Crow’s Nest offer increased
 
9/7/06 Free Lance Star, Meghann Cotter
Upping the land ante
 
9/14/06 Free Lance Star, Meghann Cotter
Crow’s Nest work halted
 
9/26/06 Free Lance Star, Meghann Cotter
Judge suggests ways to settle Crow’s Nest issues
 
10/1/06 Free Lance Star, Janette Mason
Area's majestic Crow's Nest is still in grave danger
 
10/11/06 Free Lance Star, AP
Hark, Stafford!
 
10/18/06 Free Lance Star, Rusty Dennen
Urgent call for preservation
 
10/28/06 Free Lance Star, Meghann Cotter
Developer, county head back to court
 
10/28/06 Free Lance Star, Meghann Cotter And Jeff Branscome
Crow's Nest relic hunt halted Activists angry land disturbed
 
10/28/06 Free lance Star, Rusty Dennen
Hunts thrill hunters, irritate historians
 
10/29/06 Free Lance Star, Jeff Branscome
Relic hunt rallying call for activists
 
10/31/06 Free Lance Star, Meghann Cotter
Who gave relic hunters access?
 
11/8/06 Free Lance Star, Meghann Cotter
Judge: Test can continue
 
11/18/06 Free Lance Star, Maya Rao and Jenn Rowell
Stafford Moves on Nest
 
11/22/06 Richmond Times Dispatch/Washington Times, AP
Stafford officials move to protect Crow's Nest area
 
11/28/06 Free Lance Star, Yamini Singh
Crow’s Nest is far too beautiful to be paved for
 
11/29/06 Free Lance Star, Meghann Cotter
No action planned over relic hunting
 
12/23/06 Free Lance Star, Meghann Cotter
Stafford receives response
 
1/21/07 Free Lance Star, AP
Bridging big divides in Stafford: Let cooperation flow
 
1/23/07 Free Lance Star, Meghann Cotter
Supervisor’s evaluated on Crow’s Nest
 
2/24/07 Free Lance Star, AP
A battle prolonged
 
4/3/07 Free Lance Star, Meghann Cotter
Developer submits new plans for Crow’s Nest
 
4/5/07 Washington Post, Jeremy Kirk
Domain name application gives phishers a new foe
 
4/17/07, Free Lance Star, Meghann Cotter
ENVIRONMENT PROTECTING NATURE Preserving rural areas
 
Board, State Unite to Buy Crow’s Nest 12/20/07
By: Jim Lawrence and Tracy Bell
                The Stafford County Board of Supervisors debated many subjects in their last meeting of 2007 on Tuesday, but the most momentous was a resolution on the preservation of Crow’s nest and a public hearing on Aquia Towne Center.
                During a closed session, the board came up with a plan to preserve a potion of Crow’s Nest.
                Following years of negotiations, the board determined that it would purchase roughly 1,720 acres of the Crow’s Nest peninsula for $19 million with a two-year option to purchase approximately 1,200 more acres for $16.2 million. All of the $19 million will be provided by the Commonwealth in the form of grants and low-interest loans according to a county press release.
                Flanked by Accokeek and Potomac creeks, the Crow’s Nest peninsula, located in Stafford County, encompasses nearly 4,000 acres of land. It takes its name from The Crow, a schooner that was anchored there in the mid-1800’s. The land is rich in wildlife habitats and home to unique plants and animals.
                Supervisor Paul Milde, R-Aquia, a Save Crow’s Nest activist for about five years, spearheaded the plan. He leads the district where Crow’s Nest lies.
                A prior plan to use proffer money from proposed Stafford Town Station to help pay for the land was sunk earlier this month when the developer of the planned community took the deal off the table.
                “This took up back to Plan B,” said Milde.
                A low-cost loan was available from the state and opportunity for use of that loan was infinite.
                “Come the middle of the year we would have lost it,” he said.
                Further, were the county to go through with condemnation of the property to obtain a lower price, the Commonwealth would not have been forthcoming with the money.
                Supervisor Joe Brito, I-Hartwood, abstained from the vote on the measure, feeling he was not informed well enough to make a responsible decision.
                Supervisor Pete Fields, D-George Washington, voted against it, feeling the county could get a “better deal.”
                “I don’t see any perspective buyers…I think the property is overvalued. We hold all the cards,” he said.
                Stafford resident Cecelia Kirkman, of Raven Road, seemed to echo Fields’ feelings concerning the price of the land, and she referred to any thought of it being saved as a “delusion.”
                She continued that the county bought only the “swampiest” part of it, and she predicted that the rest would be developed.
                Milde rebutted this argument, stating his activism in saving Crow’s Nest. He referred to his own Web site, savecrowsnest.com and his appearances before the board on behalf of the movement before even running for office.
                The plan passed by a vote of 5-1, with Brito abstaining and Fields dissenting.
                The group, Save Crow’s Nest (savecrowsnest.org) released a statement nothing that the deal “does not Save Crow’s Nest.”
                “It pays too much, for too little,” the group states. “By failing to protect all of Crow’s Nest, the board of supervisors has practically guaranteed that the rest of the peninsula will be developed.”
                Stafford officials have discussed and worked with state, federal and conservation officials for several years, with the purpose of preserving the peninsula. At one time, the asking price was set as high as $65 million, according to Stafford County public information officer Cathy Riddle.
                Board members feared the property would be developed upon and turned into cluster housing, before it could be preserved.
                In November 2006, the county filed to condemn Crow’s Nest.
                Crow’s Nest owner, K&M properties of McLean, bought it in 1989 for $17.8 million.
                “We have worked extremely hard over the last several years to find some way to preserve this unique piece of land,” said Independent Supervisor Jack Cavalier, chairman of the board of supervisors. “I am thrilled that we can finally move ahead and take the necessary steps to protect Crow’s Nest and start working on projects that will showcase its rich natural resources to visitors.”
                According to the county, Crow’s Nest’s future use will include public access for self-guided nature trails, wildlife observation posts, canoe launches, fishing and other passive, recreational activities.
                “Crow’s Nest is truly one of Stafford’s greatest treasures,” said Milde. “Our action today will allow visitors to learn about unique wildlife, rare plants and Stafford’s extraordinary history in this area. I hope that Crow’s Nest will be an enduring element of this board’s legacy for future generations of Stafford.”
 
Paradise Preserved 12/21/07
 
1/13/2008 A Natural Treasure to be Owned by All
 
1/15/2008 Crows’ Nest is a Historical as well as Environmental Gem
 
5/2/2008 Kaine Makes First Visit to See Crows Nest
 
8/19/2008 State Boosts Bid for Crow’s Nest Peninsula is a Rare Property
 
8/21/2008 Crow’s Nest Moves Ahead
 
3/5/2009 Crow's Nest Nearly Done
 
7/30/09 State Closes Deal on Crow's Nest
 
7/30/09 More Crow's Nest acres purchased for protection
 
8/2/09 State Completes Deal to Protect Peninsula Land
 
4/11/10 Tour Crow's Nest in May