Charles Town, W.Va. - Assistant Secretary of Interior Lynn Scarlett and other dignitaries are coming to Charles Town for Earth Day, Tuesday, April 22. They will participate in work on a Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program at Meadow Spring Farm.

Assistant Secretary Scarlett, a national expert on public-private partnerships, considers the Meadow Spring Farm and the West Virginia Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program a model for landowners and government officials nationwide.

Landowner Warren Mickey, who will host dignitaries and volunteers on his farm, says the program is a "classic example of how individual landowners and the government can work cooperatively to achieve environmental goals." Volunteers include local officials as well as some of the more than 60 landowners in West Virginia who participate in the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program.

Mickey says the program was brought to his attention to help control erosion and improve the water quality of streams flowing into the Chesapeake Bay. Through construction of stream crossings and streambank fencing, the project has prevented his cattle from walking on streambeds and enabled vegetation to grow. It is hoped that the resulting shade will cool stream water enough to enable introduction of trout. Mickey notes that the project has helped the farm financially as well as environmentally.

WHO: Warren and Reva Mickey, Owners and Operators of Meadow Spring Farm
Lynn Scarlett, Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of the Interior
Chris Kearney, Deputy Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of the Interior
Locke Wysong, Jr., Office of Governor Bob Wise
Jane Tabb, President, Jefferson County Commission and partner/landowner
Martha Naley, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Partners Program
John Schmidt, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, West Virginia
Bob Schnably, Natural Resources Conservation Service
Bill Street, Chesapeake Bay Foundation
Tony Senn, Ducks Unlimited
Boy Scouts Troops 42, 83, 88 and 948
Dr. Peter Vila, Shepherd College, and students

WHAT: Earth Day Event in which volunteers will plant silky dogwoods and other nativetrees along the Meadow Spring Farm stream bank.

WHEN: Tuesday, April 22, 2003, Earth Day, 10:30 a.m. more

WHERE: Meadow Spring Farm, Charles Town, West Virginia
From Charles Town:-- Proceed south on route 340 (Charles Town bypass);
go for 3 miles to last intersection before end of bypass-- just before 4-lane turns into 2-lane, take left onto Roper North Fork Road, then take first right into farm
From Martinsburg -- Go east on Route 9 to merger with 340 south. At Charles Town, proceed south 3 miles and follow directions above.
From D.C. or Leesburg - Go west on Route 7 to Berryville, Virginia
Right in Berryville onto 340 North
After crossing into West Virginia, enter village of Rippon
2 miles from Rippon, take right on Roper North Fork Road
First right off of Roper North Fork is Meadow Spring Farm

WHY: To showcase a model project under the Partners in Fish and Wildlife Program