The construction team and our Fairfax County Park Authority

 

FAIRFAX, VA — Work on the Circle Wood Pond project at East Blake Lane Park in Fairfax has been put on hold after workers discovered a hawk's nest containing eggs in a tree slated to be removed.

A nationwide permit with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which is enforced by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, requires authorities to protect the birds and their nest during nesting season, according to the Fairfax County Public Works and Environmental Services.

"The construction team and our Fairfax County Park Authority partners made the decision to pause active work to limit disruption that could impact the nesting birds and ensure we maintain compliance with the permit and federal law," according to an update on the FCPWES website.

Work will remain halted throughout the nesting season, which ends in early June. FCPWES will monitor the site and report any changes in status, such as the birds abandoning the nest. The wildlife service has confirmed that once nesting season has passed, the tree and nest may be removed.

The project seeks to make repairs and improvements to the detention dam at the Circle Woods Pond, as part of the Fairfax County Stormwater Facility Maintenance Program.

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The project, which is funded at $685,000, will include removing sediment in the pond and clearing extensive tree root structure in the embankment, which is the main reason the repairs are needed. The project will also improve water flow and outfall across the nearby East Blake Lane Trail.