I suggest a 3-pronged strategies for concerned citizens to fight back for nature in Arlington.
First, tell more people about what is going on and urge them to get involved. If you can, contact media and ask them to cover the story.
Second, contact county management and express your disapproval of the firings of Denise Chauvette of Gulf Branch and Jenn Truong of the Invasives program. Ask them to reverse these decisions and wait for the Board decision on the fiscal year 2010 budget.
Third, read the fiscal year 2010 budget proposal, especially the Gulf Branch and Invasives termination sections. See the budget at:
Budget
The most relevant text reads:
"Eliminate contract with Virginia Tech for invasive plant control ($60,000).
IMPACT: The technical expertise, educational outreach, volunteer recruitment and coordination would be lost. Existing County staff will be reassigned to do more education and removal projects to mitigate the loss of this position.
Close Gulf Branch Nature Center and shift most programming to the nearby Potomac Overlook Nature Center operated by the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority. Eliminate one Natural Resources Specialist position ($101,459, 1.0 FTE), temporary employee expenses ($10,700, 0.30 temporary FTE) and non-personnel material and supplies operating budget ($13,198) (utilities savings of $6,700 is in Park Management and Construction), reducing the two Nature Centers’ budget from $662,290 to $440,170.
IMPACT: The existing Gulf Branch Nature Center building will be demolished and most indoor programs will be hosted at Potomac Overlook Nature Center. The department will continue to use the Gulf Branch Nature Center site for some outdoor programs and the public will have continued use of the existing parking area and the site. The service impact to the customer will be the change in the location of programs to the nearby Potomac Overlook Nature Center."
Public hearings will be held March 24-26, 7-10 PM, in the County Board Room, room 307, 2100 Clarendon Ave. Members of the public can sign up on-line to testify beginning one week in advance. Even if you don't plan to testify, show up! And write to the Board. Let them know you oppose cuts to Arlington's already inadequate natural resources programs.
Showing posts with label arlington. Show all posts
Showing posts with label arlington. Show all posts
Monday, February 23, 2009
Letter to Arlington County Management
I emailed this to Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources department director Dinesh Tiwari and Parks and Natural Resources division director Steve Temmermand today, with copies to the county manager and the county board:
Dear Mr. Tiwari and Mr. Temmermand:
I am writing to express my concern and frankly outrage over two actions that were taken on Thursday and Friday of last week. On Thursday, Denise Chauvette, the director of Gulf Branch Nature Center, was told that her position was ended in less than two weeks. On Friday, Jenn Truong, was told that her extension agent position with Virginia Cooperative Extension, funded by Arlington County to serve as Arlington's Invasives Coordinator ends March 31 because the County has withdrawn funding.
While the exact substance, means and manner of the communications to them may be disputed, I am confident that both of these conscientious women would aver that they understood that they were losing their positions and that they had no meaningful choice -- these were involuntary separations triggered by County actions. I understand that Ms. Chauvette has served the County for almost 24 years and wished to continue to serve as director of Gulf Branch. Ms. Truong is a new mother, with a 5-month-old son, and also wished to continue to serve as Invasives Coordinator. Both of them are dedicated and competent, and they are a huge part of Arlington's small natural resources workforce.
I understand very well that the FY10 budget submitted by Mr. Carlee on Saturday proposes the closing of Gulf Branch and the elimination of the invasives program. I look forward to the upcoming public hearings and the opportunity for public input before the Board makes the final decision.
But the two actions related to Ms. Chauvette and Ms. Truong are extremely premature, and frankly, shameful. There was no public input. As Mr. Zimmerman noted in his questions Saturday morning, losing key personnel in small programs has a disproportionate impact on those programs, relative to losing personnel in programs with staffs larger than 10. Removing the women who run Gulf Branch and Invasives amounts to pre-deciding the fate of those programs, before public process.
I understand that tough decisions have to be made to meet the current-year funding shortfall. And I understand that both women were offered severance packages that arguably may be more generous than the minimum required. However, the actions devastate two key programs before the hearings and a Board vote. So I am respectfully asking that these actions be reconsidered and reversed and that both positions remain filled by their incumbents at least through a final Board decision on the FY10 budget, which will clarify the fate of Gulf Branch and Invasives. I can estimate that the current-year dollar savings attributable to these premature actions are well under $50,000, while the negative impact to our natural resources is severe.
Finally, let me mention that over the last dozen-plus years I have contributed more than a thousand hours of volunteer time to Arlington, focused on invasive plant removal. I have been honored to receive 2005 Arlington Volunteer of the Year recognition, and recent recognition from Virginia Master Naturalists' "Armed and Dangerous: Destroying Virginia's Invasive Species" award. Hundreds of volunteers, County citizens and taxpayers, have been active with the Nature Centers and the Invasives program, and we are all extremely upset about the actions against Ms. Chauvette and Ms. Truong. We will address the FY10 budget proposal itself when the hearings come.
I look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Steve Young
Dear Mr. Tiwari and Mr. Temmermand:
I am writing to express my concern and frankly outrage over two actions that were taken on Thursday and Friday of last week. On Thursday, Denise Chauvette, the director of Gulf Branch Nature Center, was told that her position was ended in less than two weeks. On Friday, Jenn Truong, was told that her extension agent position with Virginia Cooperative Extension, funded by Arlington County to serve as Arlington's Invasives Coordinator ends March 31 because the County has withdrawn funding.
While the exact substance, means and manner of the communications to them may be disputed, I am confident that both of these conscientious women would aver that they understood that they were losing their positions and that they had no meaningful choice -- these were involuntary separations triggered by County actions. I understand that Ms. Chauvette has served the County for almost 24 years and wished to continue to serve as director of Gulf Branch. Ms. Truong is a new mother, with a 5-month-old son, and also wished to continue to serve as Invasives Coordinator. Both of them are dedicated and competent, and they are a huge part of Arlington's small natural resources workforce.
I understand very well that the FY10 budget submitted by Mr. Carlee on Saturday proposes the closing of Gulf Branch and the elimination of the invasives program. I look forward to the upcoming public hearings and the opportunity for public input before the Board makes the final decision.
But the two actions related to Ms. Chauvette and Ms. Truong are extremely premature, and frankly, shameful. There was no public input. As Mr. Zimmerman noted in his questions Saturday morning, losing key personnel in small programs has a disproportionate impact on those programs, relative to losing personnel in programs with staffs larger than 10. Removing the women who run Gulf Branch and Invasives amounts to pre-deciding the fate of those programs, before public process.
I understand that tough decisions have to be made to meet the current-year funding shortfall. And I understand that both women were offered severance packages that arguably may be more generous than the minimum required. However, the actions devastate two key programs before the hearings and a Board vote. So I am respectfully asking that these actions be reconsidered and reversed and that both positions remain filled by their incumbents at least through a final Board decision on the FY10 budget, which will clarify the fate of Gulf Branch and Invasives. I can estimate that the current-year dollar savings attributable to these premature actions are well under $50,000, while the negative impact to our natural resources is severe.
Finally, let me mention that over the last dozen-plus years I have contributed more than a thousand hours of volunteer time to Arlington, focused on invasive plant removal. I have been honored to receive 2005 Arlington Volunteer of the Year recognition, and recent recognition from Virginia Master Naturalists' "Armed and Dangerous: Destroying Virginia's Invasive Species" award. Hundreds of volunteers, County citizens and taxpayers, have been active with the Nature Centers and the Invasives program, and we are all extremely upset about the actions against Ms. Chauvette and Ms. Truong. We will address the FY10 budget proposal itself when the hearings come.
I look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Steve Young
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Talking Points
Talking Points
Invasive species are considered the number two threat to endangered species globally. Currently they are at the forefront of the climate change crisis and a priority issue in natural resource management. Arlington County has very little natural area left. A large proportion of our remaining natural areas had been severely degraded by invasive plants. The program was making clear, demonstrable progress that anyone can see if they get their rear ends out of their offices and visit the sites and look at the before-and-after photo documentation and talk to volunteers and citizens. Recent personnel decisions and budget proposals show they're choosing to neglect nature. For a county that claims to be green, Arlington lacks a natural resource management team or plan. Is "smart growth" really just about building lots of parking garages next to unaffordable condos above shops that sell things too expensive to purchase in this economic climate? County managers apparently think in ignorance that the park maintenance staff they have know anything about invasive species control, and they fired the one person they had who did have the knowledge before she even had the chance to train staff (something that was scheduled to take place later this spring) -- a person who was one of the region’s top experts, let alone in the state of Virginia; a person they had the good fortune of paying well below the running salary range for that level of expertise. There is one remaining, low-paid but knowledgeable technician who works on a very part-time basis on invasives (for a few more weeks, anyway, maybe…) Foolish.
On top of that, Virginia just passed a bill charging the Secretary of Natural Resources with the responsibility of developing an invasive species management plan to prevent the introduction of invasive species and to control and eradicate those species that are present on Virginia's lands and waters. When the management plan comes out and counties are asked to respond accordingly, Arlington will not have the means to respond. The county has had a long-running history of conducting improper invasive species management in the absence of and lack of consultation with a specialist -- something that angered many of us park-using citizens. Just when things were starting to turn around in this respect, they've essentially indicated that it's an unnecessary change of direction to make by removing the program coordinator and specialist. More foolish.
And this decision was delivered on the day before the start of National Invasive Weed Awareness Week (February 22 - 28), for which the conference is going on right here in DC! What kind of sign is Arlington sending to the rest of the nation? Might we also mention that a state-wide Invasive Plant Removal Day (May 2) had just been announced the week before? A state-wide initiative started by the program coordinator that they just fired. Can Arlington County possibly dare to bring their faces to the table and ask to be a partner in this initiative anymore? In fact, they probably should put out a second press release to remove their name from the previous press release. What a shame considering every other county surrounding them has already indicated full support. What kind of sign is Arlington sending to the rest of our area partners? Arlington County PRCR has a running history of being regressive, defensive, and reactive rather than proactive, protective, progressive. Extremely foolish.
What alternatives analysis was done to support the decision to effectively end the invasives program before budget hearings? What consideration was given to the resource leveraging having an invasives coordinator provides? What about the benefits for citizens and the environment from having an effective program?
The County will claim that the decision to lay off the invasives coordinator by withdrawing funding now does not mean that the program has been ended as proposed for FY10. This is misleading. Decapitating the program clearly was intended to pre-decide the issue before the public hearings next month. It takes time for a new coordinator to come up to speed in working with staff, volunteers, and citizens. By removing the coordinator, the County guarantees a head-less program that will look easy to cut permanently in a few weeks. The County will also claim that no county employee is affected. Technically this is true because Jenn has been serving as an extension agent in Virginia Cooperative Extension and her employer is Virginia Tech. Arlington has been paying for her position under contract.
Finally, at the human level, this was a rotten thing to do and it looks like targeting to some of us. Jenn is a new mom with a 5-month-old baby boy and she has only recently been increasing her work hours after maternity leave. She is dedicated, conscientious, and has put in a lot of extra time without compensation. She was only given notice on Friday, February 20, 2009 after numerous other people had been made privy to the county’s plans. Her position ends March 31. Yes, this is after public budget hearings to discuss the proposed FY10 budget that would eliminate her position, but BEFORE the Board has voted on the proposal.
Contact the County Board, County Manager Ron Carlee; Dinesh Tiwari, Director, Department of Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources; and Steve Temmermand, director, Parks and Natural Resources Division, and make your views known.
Invasive species are considered the number two threat to endangered species globally. Currently they are at the forefront of the climate change crisis and a priority issue in natural resource management. Arlington County has very little natural area left. A large proportion of our remaining natural areas had been severely degraded by invasive plants. The program was making clear, demonstrable progress that anyone can see if they get their rear ends out of their offices and visit the sites and look at the before-and-after photo documentation and talk to volunteers and citizens. Recent personnel decisions and budget proposals show they're choosing to neglect nature. For a county that claims to be green, Arlington lacks a natural resource management team or plan. Is "smart growth" really just about building lots of parking garages next to unaffordable condos above shops that sell things too expensive to purchase in this economic climate? County managers apparently think in ignorance that the park maintenance staff they have know anything about invasive species control, and they fired the one person they had who did have the knowledge before she even had the chance to train staff (something that was scheduled to take place later this spring) -- a person who was one of the region’s top experts, let alone in the state of Virginia; a person they had the good fortune of paying well below the running salary range for that level of expertise. There is one remaining, low-paid but knowledgeable technician who works on a very part-time basis on invasives (for a few more weeks, anyway, maybe…) Foolish.
On top of that, Virginia just passed a bill charging the Secretary of Natural Resources with the responsibility of developing an invasive species management plan to prevent the introduction of invasive species and to control and eradicate those species that are present on Virginia's lands and waters. When the management plan comes out and counties are asked to respond accordingly, Arlington will not have the means to respond. The county has had a long-running history of conducting improper invasive species management in the absence of and lack of consultation with a specialist -- something that angered many of us park-using citizens. Just when things were starting to turn around in this respect, they've essentially indicated that it's an unnecessary change of direction to make by removing the program coordinator and specialist. More foolish.
And this decision was delivered on the day before the start of National Invasive Weed Awareness Week (February 22 - 28), for which the conference is going on right here in DC! What kind of sign is Arlington sending to the rest of the nation? Might we also mention that a state-wide Invasive Plant Removal Day (May 2) had just been announced the week before? A state-wide initiative started by the program coordinator that they just fired. Can Arlington County possibly dare to bring their faces to the table and ask to be a partner in this initiative anymore? In fact, they probably should put out a second press release to remove their name from the previous press release. What a shame considering every other county surrounding them has already indicated full support. What kind of sign is Arlington sending to the rest of our area partners? Arlington County PRCR has a running history of being regressive, defensive, and reactive rather than proactive, protective, progressive. Extremely foolish.
What alternatives analysis was done to support the decision to effectively end the invasives program before budget hearings? What consideration was given to the resource leveraging having an invasives coordinator provides? What about the benefits for citizens and the environment from having an effective program?
The County will claim that the decision to lay off the invasives coordinator by withdrawing funding now does not mean that the program has been ended as proposed for FY10. This is misleading. Decapitating the program clearly was intended to pre-decide the issue before the public hearings next month. It takes time for a new coordinator to come up to speed in working with staff, volunteers, and citizens. By removing the coordinator, the County guarantees a head-less program that will look easy to cut permanently in a few weeks. The County will also claim that no county employee is affected. Technically this is true because Jenn has been serving as an extension agent in Virginia Cooperative Extension and her employer is Virginia Tech. Arlington has been paying for her position under contract.
Finally, at the human level, this was a rotten thing to do and it looks like targeting to some of us. Jenn is a new mom with a 5-month-old baby boy and she has only recently been increasing her work hours after maternity leave. She is dedicated, conscientious, and has put in a lot of extra time without compensation. She was only given notice on Friday, February 20, 2009 after numerous other people had been made privy to the county’s plans. Her position ends March 31. Yes, this is after public budget hearings to discuss the proposed FY10 budget that would eliminate her position, but BEFORE the Board has voted on the proposal.
Contact the County Board, County Manager Ron Carlee; Dinesh Tiwari, Director, Department of Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources; and Steve Temmermand, director, Parks and Natural Resources Division, and make your views known.
Background on the Current Crisis
In the Arlington fiscal year 2010 budget released Saturday, Feb 21, 2009:
Eliminate contract with Virginia Tech for invasive plant control ($60,000).
IMPACT: The technical expertise, educational outreach, volunteer recruitment and coordination would be lost. Existing County staff will be reassigned to do more education and removal projects to mitigate the loss of this position.
Close Gulf Branch Nature Center and shift most programming to the nearby Potomac Overlook Nature Center operated by the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority. Eliminate one Natural Resources Specialist position ($101,459, 1.0 FTE), temporary employee expenses ($10,700, 0.30 temporary FTE) and non-personnel material and supplies operating budget ($13,198) (utilities savings of $6,700 is in Park Management and Construction), reducing the two Nature Centers’ budget from $662,290 to $440,170.
IMPACT: The existing Gulf Branch Nature Center building will be demolished and most indoor programs will be hosted at Potomac Overlook Nature Center. The department will continue to use the Gulf Branch Nature Center site for some outdoor programs and the public will have continued use of the existing parking area and the site. The service impact to the customer will be the change in the location of programs to the nearby Potomac Overlook Nature Center.
See the document at:
Budget
Eliminate contract with Virginia Tech for invasive plant control ($60,000).
IMPACT: The technical expertise, educational outreach, volunteer recruitment and coordination would be lost. Existing County staff will be reassigned to do more education and removal projects to mitigate the loss of this position.
Close Gulf Branch Nature Center and shift most programming to the nearby Potomac Overlook Nature Center operated by the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority. Eliminate one Natural Resources Specialist position ($101,459, 1.0 FTE), temporary employee expenses ($10,700, 0.30 temporary FTE) and non-personnel material and supplies operating budget ($13,198) (utilities savings of $6,700 is in Park Management and Construction), reducing the two Nature Centers’ budget from $662,290 to $440,170.
IMPACT: The existing Gulf Branch Nature Center building will be demolished and most indoor programs will be hosted at Potomac Overlook Nature Center. The department will continue to use the Gulf Branch Nature Center site for some outdoor programs and the public will have continued use of the existing parking area and the site. The service impact to the customer will be the change in the location of programs to the nearby Potomac Overlook Nature Center.
See the document at:
Budget
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