Scott's Run Nature Preserve is a

nature preserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or o ...

Fairfax County, Virginia Fairfax County, officially the County of Fairfax, is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is part of Northern Virginia and borders both the city of Alexandria and Arlington County and forms part of the suburban ring of Washington, D.C. ...

, United States. Located in

McLean MacLean, also spelt Maclean and McLean, is a Goidelic languages, Gaelic surname Mac Gille Eathain, or, Mac Giolla Eóin in Irish language, Irish Gaelic), Eóin being a Gaelic form of Johannes (John (given name), John). The clan surname is an A ...

, it is bordered by

Virginia State Route 193 State Route 193 (SR 193) is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known as Georgetown Pike, the state highway runs from SR 7 in Dranesville east to SR 123 in Langley. SR 193 passes through Great Falls and meets Interstate ...

to its south, Interstate 495 to its east and the

Potomac River The Potomac River () drains the Mid-Atlantic United States, flowing from the Potomac Highlands into Chesapeake Bay. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map. Retrieved Augus ...

to its north. It encompasses of woodland with its namesake, Scott's Run, flowing through its west side. Scott's Run originates in nearby

Tysons Corner Tysons, also known as Tysons Corner, is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, developed from the corner of Chain Bridge Road ( SR 123) and the Leesburg Pike ( SR 7). Located in Northern Virginia between the c ...

and enters the Potomac on the northwest side of the preserve. The preserve is noted for including

eastern hemlock ''Tsuga canadensis'', also known as eastern hemlock, eastern hemlock-spruce, or Canadian hemlock, and in the French-speaking regions of Canada as ''pruche du Canada'', is a coniferous tree native to eastern North America. It is the state tree of ...

s among its plant life, which are rare for the area. It is a popular destination for recreation and hiking and is operated by the

Fairfax County Park Authority The Fairfax County Park Authority is a department of the Fairfax County, Virginia county government responsible for developing and maintaining the various parks, historical sites, and recreational areas owned or administered by Fairfax County. Figu ...

History

Before the property was owned by Fairfax County, it belonged

Edward B. Burling Edward Burnham Burling (February 1, 1870 – September 3, 1966) was a prominent American lawyer and the named partner of the Washington, D.C.-based law firm of Covington & Burling. Biography He grew up in Eldora, Iowa, and worked in a grocery s ...

, a co-founder of the

Covington & Burling Covington & Burling LLP is an American multinational law firm. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the firm advises clients on transactional, litigation, regulatory, and public policy matters. In 2021, Vault.com ranked Covington & Burling as th ...

law firm. During the 1920s Burling purchased the land for $200 an acre and built a cabin on the north side. He used the property for relaxation and informal business meetings. After Burling's death in October 1966, his descendants sold the property to Miller & Smith Associates (MSA) to avoid its tax burdens. MSA planned to build 309 luxury homes on what was known as the "Burling Tract". Plans also included leaving 52 percent of the land relatively untouched. When Elizabeth Miles Cooke, who lived next to the tract, noticed it was slated for development, she help organize an opposition. After a lengthy debate between citizens, the Virginia Governor, several U.S. senators, developers, and local organizations, voters opted to raise their taxes in a referendum on July 14, 1970. The measure would secure $1.5 million in order to help purchase the land. An additional $1.5 million in funding was provided by the

Department of the Interior The United States Department of the Interior (DOI) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government headquartered at the Main Interior Building, located at 1849 C Street NW in Washington, D.C. It is responsible for the mana ...

and $0.6 million from state and local governments. On September 5, 1970 the tract was officially purchased by Fairfax County for $3.6 million.

References

External links

Scott's Run Nature Preserve Trails
- Fairfax County *{{commonscat-inline McLean, Virginia Protected areas of Fairfax County, Virginia Protected areas established in 1970 1970 establishments in Virginia Parks in Fairfax County, Virginia