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TextFairfax County Park Space on Par With Neighbors
August 13, 2010 – Fairfax County is home to more than 48,000 acres of open space and an additional 40,000 acres of preserved land, or 35 percent of the entire county, keeping it on par with its neighbors in conservation, according to Fairfax County officials.
"Fairfax County has done a lot to set aside park space and conserve land even during periods of rapid expansion and growth," said Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova. "A look at the data will confirm we have a significant amount of land set aside for this purpose."
Fairfax County has made acquiring at least 10 percent of county-owned land for parks a goal. When you combine county efforts with regional, federal, state and local lands, the county has almost 35 percent preserved.
The Fairfax County Park Authority owns 22,710 acres of parks within the county?s borders. Combine that with lands owned by the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority (8,273 acres), the Commonwealth of Virginia (2,369 acres), the federal government (6,476 acres), and Fairfax communities, associations, and privately owned spaces and recreational areas (9,102 acres), the county is home to more than 48,900 acres of open space.
During the 1980s, Fairfax County “downplanned and downzoned” the land in the 40,000 acre Occoquan Watershed to limit development and protect the watershed, Chairman Bulova said.
"Fairfax County is focused on 'smart growth' which allows us to preserve large amounts of green space throughout the county," Chairman Bulova said. "Fairfax County compares very favorably to our neighbors."
Brief Breakdown of Fairfax County Land
|
Owner/Operator |
Acreage |
| Occoquan Watershed |
40,000 |
|
Fairfax County Park Authority |
22,710 |
| Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority |
8,273 |
|
Federal Government |
6,476 |
| Privately Owned Land, Golf Courses |
5,687 |
|
Commonwealth of Virginia |
2,369 |
| Other Associations, Townships |
1,674 |
|
Reston Association |
1,288 |
| City of Fairfax |
222 |
|
Town of Herndon |
127 |
| Town of Vienna |
104 |
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