49–006 

109TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2d Session 109–433 

TO REDESIGNATE THE MASON NECK NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE IN 

VIRGINIA AS THE ELIZABETH HARTWELL MASON NECK NATIONAL 

WILDLIFE REFUGE 

APRIL 25, 2006.—Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed 

Mr. POMBO, from the Committee on Resources, 

submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H.R. 3682] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Resources, to whom was referred the bill 

(H.R. 3682) to redesignate the Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia as the Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck National 

Wildlife Refuge, having considered the same, report favorably 

thereon without amendment and recommend that the bill do pass. 

PURPOSE OF THE BILL

The purpose of H.R. 3682 is to redesignate the Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia as the Elizabeth Hartwell Mason 

Neck National Wildlife Refuge. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

The Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge was administratively 

created on February 1, 1969. The Refuge, located in Lorton, Virginia, was established for the protection of nesting, feeding and 

roosting habitat for bald eagles. In fact, it was the first such wildlife refuge created to protect what was then an endangered species. 

The original land, which was 845 acres, was purchased from funds 

allocated under the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Until 

1974, Mason Neck was a subunit of the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge Complex. 

Over time, the Refuge has grown. As of September 30, 2004, 

1,488 acres have been purchased at a cost of $7,235,360, and an 

additional 789 acres are leased from the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority. Currently, the Refuge, situated along the 

Potomac River on the Mason Neck Peninsula, consists of 2,277 


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acres of hardwood and pine forest, 300 acres of freshwater marshes 

and over 4 miles of coastline. This urban refuge has the largest 

freshwater marsh in Northern Virginia, the largest Great Blue 

heron rookery in the Mid-Atlantic region, and has more than 200 

species of birds, 44 species of reptiles and amphibians and 31 species of mammals. 

Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge offers ideal habitat for eagles and it is, therefore, not surprising that the Refuge is listed as 

one of the top locations in the lower 48 states for viewing bald eagles. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, eagles use the 

mature forests for shelter and nesting sites and the bays, marshes 

and rivers for foraging activities. It has been estimated that a number of bald eagles nest within the Refuge and up to 100 birds winter within the Refuge boundaries. 

In addition, to wildlife observation, the Refuge offers other forms 

of wildlife dependent recreation including environmental education, 

fishing and hunting. According to the most recent figures, there are 

about 30,000 people who visited the Refuge each year. 

The term ‘‘Mason Neck’’ refers to George Mason who built the 

Gunston Hall Plantation and was one of the richest planters in Virginia. He served in the Virginia House of Burgesses, was the original author of the Virginia Bill of Rights and represented the State 

at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. 

This legislation which would rename the Refuge as the Elizabeth 

Hartwell Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge. Elizabeth 

Hartwell, who was affectionately called the ‘‘Eagle Lady,’’ was a 

leading environmentalist who successfully led a campaign to protect the Mason Neck Peninsula for the preservation of the American bald eagle. Due to her tireless leadership, the 2,277-acre 

Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge, the 1,804-acre Mason Neck 

State Park and the 1,003-acre Pohick Bay Regional Park were established. 

As a lifetime Virginian, she dedicated her life to conservation 

causes and her list of public service achievements included winning 

the Conservation Award of the National Capital Area Federation of 

Garden Clubs in 1967, and being named Fairfax County’s Citizen 

of the Year in 1971. She also served as Vice Chairman of the 

Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority, Chairman of the Citizens Council for a Clean Potomac, Vice President of the Conservation Council of Virginia and as a long-time member of the Northern 

Virginia Potomac River Basin Commission. She also founded the 

11-member Conservation Committee for Mason Neck, organized the 

Friends of Mason Neck and was a Board Member of the Audubon 

Naturalist Society of the Central Atlantic States. 

Between 1965 and 1983, Mrs. Hartwell was credited with stopping at least 21 separate environmental threats to Mason Neck. 

These threats included efforts to: provide a deep-water port for 

ocean going vessels; an outer beltway highway plan through the 

Refuge; a garbage landfill for the District of Columbia; a liquified 

natural gas pipeline; and a major sewer line construction project. 

There are many people who believe that the Mason Neck National 

Wildlife Refuge would not exist today had it not been for Mrs. Elizabeth Hartwell. In addition, a number of local organizations such 

as the Hallowing Point Citizens Association, the Lorton Federation 

of Citizens Associations and the Mason Neck Citizens Association 


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have endorsed this designation. Sadly, Mrs. Hartwell died at the 

age of 76 of congestive heart failure on December 14, 2000. 

COMMITTEE ACTION

H.R. 3682 was introduced on September 7, 2005, by Congressman Tom Davis (R–VA). The bill was referred to the Committee on 

Resources, and within the Committee to the Subcommittee on Fisheries and Oceans. On December 6, 2005, the Subcommittee held a 

hearing on the bill. On March 29, 2006, the Full Resources Committee met to consider the bill. The Subcommittee on Fisheries and 

Oceans was discharged from further consideration of the bill by 

unanimous consent. No amendments were offered, and the bill was 

ordered favorably reported to the House of Representatives by 

unanimous consent. 

COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII 

of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the Committee on Resources’ oversight findings and recommendations are reflected in 

the body of this report. 

CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY STATEMENT

Article I, section 8 of the Constitution of the United States 

grants Congress the authority to enact this bill. 

COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII

1. Cost of Legislation. Clause 3(d)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of 

the House of Representatives requires an estimate and a comparison by the Committee of the costs which would be incurred in carrying out this bill. However, clause 3(d)(3)(B) of that rule provides 

that this requirement does not apply when the Committee has included in its report a timely submitted cost estimate of the bill prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office under section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. 

2. Congressional Budget Act. As required by clause 3(c)(2) of rule 

XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section 

308(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, this bill does not 

contain any new budget authority, spending authority, credit authority, or an increase or decrease in revenues or tax expenditures. 

3. General Performance Goals and Objectives. This bill does not 

authorize funding and therefore, clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII of the 

Rules of the House of Representatives does not apply. 

4. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate. Under clause 

3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and 

section 403 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has received the following cost estimate for this bill from the 

Director of the Congressional Budget Office: 

H.R. 3682—A bill to redesignate the Mason Neck National Wildlife 

Refuge in Virginia as the Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge 

H.R. 3682 would redesignate the Mason Neck National Wildlife 

Refuge in Virginia as the Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck National 

Wildlife Refuge. Based on information from the Department of the 


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Interior and assuming the availability of appropriated funds, CBO 

estimates that any resulting change in federal spending would be 

negligible. The bill would not affect direct spending or revenues. 

H.R. 3682 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would 

not affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal governments. 

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Megan Carroll. This 

estimate was approved by Paul R. Cullinan, Chief, Human Resources Cost Estimates Unit for the Budget Analysis Division. 

COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC LAW 104–4

This bill contains no unfunded mandates. 

PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL OR TRIBAL LAW

This bill is not intended to preempt any State, local or tribal law. 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

If enacted, this bill would make no changes in existing law. 

Æ 


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