BELVOIR
www.belvoireagleonline.com
Fairy Forest, page 7.
July 30, 2020
Belvoir commended for species conservation Compiled by Paul Lara Belvoir Eagle
C
olorless, eyeless, and smaller than a peanut, the Northern Virginia well amphipod would be easy to miss, in the unlikely event that you happened upon it. After its discovery in 1921 in a well in Vienna, Va., the subterranean creature largely eluded detection for decades. A dozen were found in a well in Alexandria, Va., in 1948. Then, none were seen again until 1996. But, that was a pivotal year for the elusive amphipod. Scientists collected 15 specimens from leaf litter at the outlets of several groundwater springs in a ravine downslope of Belvoir. Its underground habitat is supported by good environmental conditions above. The Army has designated 70 acres encompassing the amphipod’s habitat as a “Special Natural Area,” managed to support specific goals for conservation and biodiversity. “I’m proud of the work Fort Belvoir environmental professionals do every day to protect, preserve, conserve, restore and support the environment,” said Col. Michael H. Greenberg, Belvoir garrison commander. “It’s important that we do all we can to be good stewards of our community’s ecosystem.” Dorothy Keough, DPW’s branch chief of conservation, said she is so pleased they have been able to incorporate its protection into Belvoir’s operations so strongly, that the Fish and Wildlife service did not feel the need to list this rare species as endangered.
Photo courtesy U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
The Northern Virginia well amphipod, a rare, shrimp-like crustacean that only lives on Belvoir, is an underground dweller that is smaller than a peanut. “I am pleased that our work over the past 26 years – the scientific studies we undertook to learn more about the rare amphipod, Stygobromus phreaticus, and the landmanagement decisions we made to protect its habitat – have led to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s finding. This is an excellent example of how natural resources conservation is integrated into installation management, to support the mission,” Keough said. The Army has gone above and beyond the
call of duty to protect its underground neighbor at Belvoir. The base’s Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan, developed by the Army, the state of Virginia, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, identifies key natural resources and the actions needed to manage them, in a way that ensures the continuation of the installation’s military mission. But, the Army has taken additional steps not outlined in the INRMP, such as installing a berm at the southern end of a nearby solid waste transfer station to discourage illicit dumping, which would negatively impact the amphipods’ habitat. “The U.S. Army is an invaluable conservation partner in our effort to protect atrisk species,” said Wendi Weber, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service North Atlantic-Appalachian regional director. “We commend their proactive work to conserve a species few people will ever see, by helping to protect water quality in the sole aquifer where it is currently found.” The amphipod does face several threats, including the contamination of groundwater or surface water; the withdrawal of water from or impacts to the recharge zones for the local water table; and the effects of climate change. More frequent intense rain events could flush amphipods from their habitat and erode the surrounding landscape; progressive loss of water in the aquifer from drought could leave amphipods high and dry. However, the best available information indicates these are distant threats, and the species faces a low risk of extinction in the foreseeable future.
Senate confirms first woman to command Army Reserve By U.S. Army Reserve Command
T Courtesy photo
Lt. Gen. Jody J. Daniels, Commanding General, Army Reserve Command 2
Housing Bill of Rights
he U.S. Army announced this week that the U.S. Senate has confirmed Maj. Gen. Jody J. Daniels for promotion to lieutenant general and assignment in the dual role of Chief of Army Reserve and Commanding General of the U.S. Army Reserve Command. Daniels assumed command Tuesday. Daniels is the first woman in the 112-year history of the Army Reserve to lead the communitybased force of more than 200,000 Soldiers and Civilian employees with a geographic footprint that 5
Culture of trust
includes 50 states, five territories, and more than 30 countries. Daniels most recently served as the Commanding General of the 88th Readiness Division headquartered at Fort Snelling, Minn., and Fort McCoy, Wis. She has more than 36 years of active and reserve military service. In her civilian career, Daniels was the Director of Advanced Programs for Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Technology Laboratories. Prior to that, she was the Director of the Contextual Systems Laboratory and was a manager and engineer in LM ATL’s 7
Fairy Forest
Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. She has served on the Defense Advanced Research Programs Agency Information Science and Technology (ISAT) Review Board, on the ISAT Steering Committee, and Drexel University’s Computer Science Department Advisory Board. Daniels holds a bachelors degree from Carnegie Mellon University; a masters and PhD from the University of Massachusetts (Amherst); and a masters in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College. She is a native of Rolla, Mo., and is married. 9
March2Success