Norton Commemorates Earth Day with Bill to Help Anacostia Ecosystem (4/23/09)
Norton Commemorates Earth Day with Bill to Help Anacostia Ecosystem
April 23, 2009
WASHINGTON, D.C. - To commemorate National Earth Day this week, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) today introduced a bill to amend the National Children's Island Act of 1995 to make Kingman and Heritage Islands a center for environmental education recreation and restoration of the Anacostia River ecosystem. As times have changed, the idea of using the Kingman Island space for a children's theme park has been abandoned by the District, which wants to use Kingman Island to help revitalize the Anacostia, the Congresswoman explained. The plan calls for a unique environmental natural reserve park to restore the ecosystem and provide usable open space for residents and visitors. The plan also calls for an Environmental Education Center, new paths and trails, boat and canoe docks, and a September 11th Remembrance Grove. "In my view," Norton said, "this use is a more appropriate use for Kingman and Heritage Islands. I am particularly pleased that the city's plan complements our work on the Anacostia Watershed Initiative legislation, which Congress passed last session, with complete implementation already underway at Sligo Creek."
Kingman and Heritage Islands were created by the Army Corps of Engineers in the 1920's as part of the Anacostia Tidal Flats Reclamation project and were managed by the U.S. National Park Service (NPS). At the request of the District, Norton got Congress to dedicate the two islands to a child oriented theme park in the National Children's Island Act of 1995, transferring title of this NPS property in Anacostia Park to the District. The properties included Heritage Island and all but a portion of Kingman Island located within the District. However, the law included a reversionary provision to the Department of Interior if a theme park was not built necessitating this bill.
A renovated pedestrian bridge now provides access to these islands for environmental programs and the general public. Over 40 acres of tidal marsh in Kingman Lake are currently being restored through the combined efforts of the Army Corps, the District and local environmental teaching groups. Norton said she is particularly happy with the idea of the memorial tree grove dedicated to the District of Columbia schoolchildren who were victims of the September 11th terrorist attack. "I can't think of a better way to remember our three kids, who had won a National Geographic Safety competition to go to California and were on that fateful plane," Norton said.