For information contact: Isabel Kaldenbach, (703) 979-3076

Arlington, VA, February 24, 2000-Arlington County Board chair Barbara Favola joined Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment (ACE) to unveil new informational signage that will greet recreational users of Arlington's major park system.

ACE installed the educational signage as part of its work to educate citizens about the importance of protecting water quality in Arlington. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on February 24 in Barcroft Park in South Arlington to introduce the new signs and thank the partners involved in the project.

"I am very pleased to be part of this event," Favola said. "The environment is the cornerstone of our future, and it is important to emphasize that what we do with our waterways in Arlington has a larger impact on the region."

"ACE is pleased to be able to place these educational signs in Barcroft Park," said Martin Ogle, chair of the board of ACE. "They are attractive, informative, easy to understand, and they educate people about the effects of their actions on the local and regional environment. And hopefully they will not only educate, but they will change behavior."

The group commissioned Carl Mehler, a freelance designer and Director of Maps and Books for the National Geographic Society to illustrate three interpretive signs for the project. His design depicts activities that affect the quality of the Four Mile Run watershed and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay.

The interpretive signs project was supported by the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay and has been assisted by Arlington County-including the Cultural Affairs Division, the Department of Environmental Services, the Neighborhood Conservation Program, and the Parks and Natural Resources Division-the Barcroft School and Civic League, and the Glencarlyn Citizens Association. Later this year, the signs will be moved to a new park being created where the Four Mile Run crosses Columbia Pike, with an improved trail system linking the interpretive signs to new environmentally-friendly landscaping.