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Congressman Gerry Connolly’s record of championing parks, preserving open space, increasing recreational opportunities, and protecting the environment in Fairfax County was recognized Friday night when he received the Sally Ormsby Environmental Stewardship Award.

The award was presented to Connolly by the Fairfax County Park Authority at its annual awards ceremony. The Ormsby Award recognized Congressman Connolly’s support for a “robust environmental agenda,” his national leadership, and his many accomplishments to make Fairfax a greener and better place to live during his 14-year tenure as Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and Providence District Supervisor.

In accepting the award, Connolly said his efforts were aimed at “humanizing our community and leaving a wonderful legacy for future generations.”   Connolly stressed the importance of parks in rapidly urbanizing and developing areas of the County.  Mason District Supervisor Penny Gross, who presented the award to Connolly, said, “He is a man of accomplishment and vision.  He is an environmentalist and a realist.  He has demonstrated the ability to make positive environmental change and to lead others to understand why those changes are important.”

Connolly is recognized as the “father” of the recently-completed 41-mile Cross County Trail from the Potomac River to the Occoquan, which he cited at the ceremony as one of his proudest achievements. Working with the late Sally Ormsby, he developed the County’s first 20-year environmental plan.  His proposal to create “dog parks” where dogs could run and play without leashes was met with skepticism at first, but over time they have become some of the most popular parks in the county.

More than 1,500 acres of parkland were added to the county during Connolly’s tenure as part of his plan to increase the total amount of the county’s parkland holdings to 10 percent of the land mass in Fairfax.  Today, nearly 1 out of every 10 acres in Fairfax is open space.  Similarly, Connolly started an aggressive program to halt the elimination of the tree canopy in the county with a goal of increasing it to 45 percent.  Today the canopy has reached 41 percent.

Connolly was a booster of artificial turf playing fields to provide more use and lower maintenance of playing fields.  He advocated substantial improvements of long-overdue storm water drainage improvements, he championed the County’s green building policy, and he was the catalyst behind Fairfax County’s adoption of the Cool Counties program.  Connolly’s leadership in responsible and common sense environmental stewardship benefiting all County citizens earned national recognition and national awards for the County during his tenure.

In presenting the award to Connolly, the Park Authority noted, “In his new role as a Member of Congress, Representative Connolly continues that tradition.  His vision remains ahead of its time in managing a robust environmental agenda.”

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Text of the Fairfax County Park Authority’s statement announcing that Congressman Connolly as the recipient of the 2009 Sally Ormsby Environmental Stewardship Award:

The Fairfax County Park Authority Board has named Congressman Gerry Connolly the 2009 Sally Ormsby Environmental Stewardship Award winner. Created in 2007, the Ormsby Award recognizes outstanding service to Fairfax County through stewardship of our environment and dedication to our parks. This award recognizes significant accomplishments and civic service that provides an environmental legacy for the future and tangible benefits to the community.

This year’s recipient, Congressman Gerry Connolly, is recognized for a multitude of accomplishments that protect our precious natural resources, allow residents of Fairfax County to enjoy open space and local trails, as well as his stature as a national leader as evidenced through endorsement of sound environmental policy, adoption of the Cool County’s program, commitment to green building policies and establishment of a robust environmental agenda. Residents of Fairfax County continue to reap the benefits of his labor and commitment as a champion of parks and trails and environmental stewardship.

Congressman Connolly is clearly a worthy recipient of the Sally Ormsby Award. During his tenure as Providence District Supervisor and Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, he made an exceptional impact on the park system. Congressman Connolly is referred to as the “father” of the Cross County Trail, a 41-mile system of stream valleys and trail connections leading from the Potomac River to the Occoquan River. During his chairmanship, over 1,500 acres of parkland were acquired and added to the Park Authority’s holdings, an example of his long-term commitment to open space preservation. He has been a staunch supporter of park bonds, a catalyst for synthetic turf fields and has recognized the importance of parks even in rapidly urbanizing or redeveloped areas of the community.

Fairfax County is a recognized leader in environmental stewardship due in large measure to the adoption of the Cool Counties program. During Connolly’s tenure as a municipal official, Fairfax County has received top environmental awards from the National Association of Counties for its parkland preservation initiative, green building policies, and watershed restoration efforts. His legislative agenda builds upon this past success.