Public Comment Period on Fones Cliffs Consent Order Ends Aug. 9

For those of you keeping up on the environment vs. development issues at Fones Cliffs on the Rappahannock River, the deadline for commenting on a recent Proposed Special Order by Consent is coming near: August 9, 2018.

Considered one of the most important bald eagle habitats on the East Coast, developers have planned a luxury residential community and resort – complete with golf course, lodge, and spa – on an idyllic and dramatic spot in Richmond County in the Northern Neck, according to Friends of the Rappahannock. "The extensive forest and high white cliffs rising above the Rappahannock River provide an ideal hunting perch for the hundreds of eagles that migrate through the area, as well as numerous nesting pairs. It’s such a key site that the area has been designated an important bird area by the National Audubon Society. The river itself is a major spawning and nursery area for fish, including striped bass, shad, and sturgeon," states the environmental organization on its website.

The specific Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Order By Consent concerns only the illegal clearing of over 13 acres in October 2017. Comments will be accepted until Aug. 9, 2018. They should be submitted to DEQ Water Enforcement Manager Kristin Sadtler at Kristen.Sadtler@DEQ.Virginia.gov. The public notice and the draft order can be found at deq.virginia.gov/Programs/Enforcement/PublicNotices.aspx. Please limit your comments to those relative to the consent order.

Read full article at riverfriends.org for more information. Click here to see location of Fones Cliffs on Google Maps.