Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-03-10
MAKES a LITTLE GO A LONG WAY
Fairfax Offers Diverse Recreation PROGRAM,
BY WHEELER JOHNSON
Outdoor Editor

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BY WHEELER JOHNSON
outdoor Editor
Fairfax County is setting a
fine example for other juris-
dictions in providing a great
deal Of outdoor recreation for
a great many people and doing
1t with limited funds and per-
sonnet.
And its forward-looking pro-
gram under the Fairfax County
Park Authority promises more
for the future, although the
county is going to be hard put
to keep pace with the demands
that will be made upon it by
an exploding population.
The man under the gun in
this problem is Joe Brown, d.
rector of the Fairfax Park Au-
thority. Brown has been on
the job no wfor about a year
and a half. He came to Fair
fax from long service in the
Florida State parks system.
The county already has three
major areas providing good
sport for the angler, camper,
picnicker and hiker. Its fourth
will open this spring and it
will be the pride of the chain.
Kept in Natural State
In addition to these facilities
the Park Authority has a num-
Der Of park areas available for
picknicking and playground
type activities spotted in var
ious neighborhoods about the
county.
Perhaps one of the greatest |
charms Of the program is that
1t has managed to make its
larger areas easy Of access, yet
has been able to keep them in
much Of the primitive state
best suited for the recreation
list who wants to feel that he
is really outdoors.
AS Of now Fairfax County
has in operation Lake Accotink,
comprising 242 acres; Great
Falls. which has only 16 acres
owned by the county, but
which has 800 acres under the
National Capital Parks adjacent
for public use; and Riverview,
80 acres near Great Falls.
In addition there is Bull
Run Park Of 500 acres border
ing on historic Bull Run and
Cub Run in Fairfax County
which is owned and operated
by the Northern Virginia Re-
gional Park Authority. Fairfax
County is the largest contribu-
tor to this Setup.
Burke Lake Big Project
But the big project now is
development of Burke Lake
which will comprise 1853 acres
six miles south of Fairfax on
South Run, just off Route 1913.
The tentative date for opening
the lake for fishing is May rs.
Burke Lake, when completed,
will offer almost everything. 1t
will be heavily stocked with
both large and smallmouth
bass. blue gills and other sun
fish and channel cat. For the
boaters, a marina is proposed.
There will be camping facili-
ties at a nominal charge of 81.
The mixers will be cared for /
with nature trails, and there
are picnicking places spotted
throughout the park.
Burke Lake came about in
1861 when Virginia provided
$154.260 for lake construction
and land cost. The State owns
the lake and a 50-foot strip
of land surrounding it. 1t will
take care Of stocking it with
fish and management Of the
biological aspects of the area.
The Fairfax County Park Au-
thority will have control of the
park itself.
The Park Authority had
asked the County Board of
Supervisors to provide it with
400 acres around the lake in
order to protect it against
sitting and for better control
Of the Park and all its scenic
aspects. The request was cut
back to 200 acres. The park
body hopes eventually to get
the rest Of the land.
Stream Valleys Sought
In its land acquisition pro-
gram the park authority is
proceeding along four lines,
Brown points out. First 1t is
trying to acquire lands up the
stream valleys to insure the
best control of waters for rec
reation purposes; 1t is trying
to obtain large parks such as
Burke Lake; it has a program
for establishing community
parks of 20 acres or more;
and finally, it is establishing
neighborhood parks of 5 acres
or less, these to be established
near schools where possible.
The county at present has
a program for acquiring 27,000I
acres for parks, all fitted into
the county's master plan for
land use.
The Park Authority already
has acquired Is neighborhood
parks, eight community parks