Congress Allocates One Million Dollars For Maryland's Greenbelt Park Congressman Steny Hoyer Champions Park Addition

National Park Trust
Thursday, 18 October 2001

WASHINGTON, DC - The United States Congress has passed an appropriations bill for the Department of the Interior and related agencies for FY 2002. The bill includes a one million dollar appropriation subject to a non-federal match for Greenbelt Park's Jaeger Tract.

"This is great news for the citizens of Maryland, and for the nation. Greenbelt is a missing pearl in the necklace," said Paul C. Pritchard, President of the National Park Trust. "The hero of this appropriation is Congressman Steny Hoyer who understands the importance of our parks for this and future generations. Now it is up to the people of the community to deliver the matching funds required for the appropriation to become reality. We think that the developers who own the property will negotiate in good faith to serve this community need," said Pritchard.

"The Jaeger Tract is located within the Anaocostia River watershed in Greenbelt, MD," said National Park Service (NPS). "The property is within the drainage area of Still Creek a tributary of the Anacostia River. Acquisition and management of the property as parkland will help the National Park Service and its partner organizations, to implement its existing commitments to protect and expand forest cover throughout the watershed and to permanently preserve from development 20 percent of the land area in the watershed by 2010." The acquisition of this land will also complete Greenbelt Park, preserving it for the future.

The National Park Trust was asked by the National Park Service and Greenbelt Park to help in the acquisition of this property. The Trust, celebrating its 10 years of service to completing the national parklands, identified the Jaeger Tract as essential to Greenbelt Park and to our National System of Parks.

The National Park Trust is the only land conservancy uniquely dedicated to preserving America's national system of parks, wildlife refuges, and historic monuments.

For more information, or to contact National Park Trust, see their website at: www.parktrust.org