Battle for space at Burke Lake

The way new residents in the neighborhood figure it, when they visit Burke Lake off Route 123 in Fairfax, they should be allowed to park their cars wherever they wish. But Northern Virginia sport fishermen are in an uproar because the bird watchers, hikers and dandelion pickers are taking up the very parking spaces they paid for with their fishing license money and through Federal Sportfishing Restoration funds.

“It’s a dilemma,” said the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries’ John Odenkirk, the top fisheries biologist and manager in Northern Virginia. “What the nonfishing public doesn’t understand is that in Northern Virginia we have lakes Brittle, Burke, Orange and Curtis — all of them built and paid for with fishing license money and federal fishing dollars that come from special taxes placed on fishing equipment.”

At Burke, for example, there is a special parking area and access ramp strictly intended for anglers. Apparently that doesn’t matter to park visitors who want to look at the azaleas. They’ll park as long as there’s a designated space, ignoring warning signs and friendly admonitions.

“It got to the point that we had to issue trespass citations,” Odenkirk said. “The first trespass case goes to court this week and, well, all of that will depend how the judge views our right to reserve parking strictly for those who paid for it. We’ll see.”

Odenkirk said secondary uses are permitted (bird watching, hiking, etc.) so long as they do not interfere with fishing.

“Uses which are prone to interfere with fishing, such as sailboating, radio-controlled boats, swimming, already are prohibited,” he said.

Odenkirk added that some people perceive the immediate surroundings at Burke Lake to be a county park, and the Fairfax County Park Authority does indeed operate a large park near the lake.

“The fact remains that Burke has the fairly unique distinction of being a public fishing lake,” Odenkirk said. “We have erected warning signs and posted notes on cars over the past two years in efforts to educate the public of this policy.”

Waldorf artist wins stamp contest — For the third time in Maryland’s 34-year-old Migratory Game Bird Stamp Design Contest, Robert “Robby” Bealle, of Waldorf, won with a beautiful rendition of a canvasback drake, entitled “Morning Cruise.”

Bealle’s entry took first place in a field of over 30 other submissions. His winning designs also were featured on the 1994 and 2004 Maryland waterfowl stamps that are prized by collectors and also must be carried on the hunting licenses of all waterfowlers.

Bealle’s paintings are rated highly as well in the annual Federal Duck Stamp Contest. He has been a finalist on numerous occasions and several years ago was a second-place finisher in the prestigious event.

The Maryland migratory game bird stamp has generated more than $4 million since it began, resulting in critically needed funds for research and enhancing the state’s waterfowl habitat.

Frameable prints of the winning artwork can be obtained from Bealle. Call 301/645-2069.

New Horizon bass club meets — Northern Virginia’s New Horizon Bass Anglers invite fishermen to to their monthly meeting tomorrow at 7 p.m. at the Fairfax County Government Center. The featured speaker will be Todd Neale, a Potomac River fishing guide.

Neale and fellow guide Terry Olinger are owners of Warbird Outdoors, a new tackle shop in Woodbridge, Va. Neale will cover seasonal fishing patterns for the Potomac and will conduct a seminar on several unique bass lures and how to use them. Information: Charlie Taylor, cetaylor2@verizon.net or 703/887-8399.

• Look for Gene Mueller’s Outdoors column every Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday in The Washington Times. E-mail: gmueller@washingtontimes.com