text:
Climate Group

Climate Group is a nonprofit organisation with a mission to drive climate action, fast, and achieve a world of net zero carbon emissions by 2050, with greater prosperity for all. The organisation builds influential networks of business and governments to unlock the power of collective action and scale. With its partners, Climate Group drives demand for net zero solutions, moving whole systems such as energy, transport, the built environment, industry and food towards a cleaner future. The organisation and its members are helping to shift global markets and policies towards faster reductions in carbon emissions.

The organisation operates globally with offices in the United Kingdom (headquarters), Europe, North America, India, and China. Climate Group acts as the secretariat for the Under2 Coalition, the largest alliance of state and regional governments around the world that are committed to reducing their greenhouse gas emissions to net zero levels by 2050 or earlier. As of 2024, the Under2 Coalition includes 178 subnational governments with a wider network of national governments and regional associations that represent 1.75 billion people and 50% of the world economy.

Climate Group business initiatives, in partnership with the We Mean Business Coalition, grow corporate demand for renewable energy, energy productivity, electric transport and lower emission steel and concrete, to accelerate the transition to a zero emissions economy and help businesses reach their climate goals through clearly defined targets and actionable strategies.

History
Climate Group was founded in 2003 and launched in 2004 by Prime Minister Tony Blair, ex-CEO and co-founder, Steve Howard together with ex-Chief Operating Officer, Jim Walker and former Communications Director, Alison Lucas. Former Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, also supported the group at its launch. It evolved from research led by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and was established to encourage more major companies and subnational governments to take climate action.

The first US office opened in 2006 in Oakland, California, followed by a New York office in 2007. Additional offices opened in Beijing, Brussels and Hong Kong in 2008, India in 2009, and Amsterdam in 2022.

In 2005, Climate Group launched the States and Regions Alliance at COP11 in Montreal, connecting state, regional, provincial and subnational governments from around the world, to establish an international network for knowledge sharing and driving climate action. In May 2015, in the runup to COP21, the Under2 Coalition was formed by the governments of California and Baden-Württemberg to mobilise and galvanise bold climate action from like-minded city, state and regional governments around the globe.

In 2009, Climate Group held its first Climate Week NYC summit to help drive ambition for a new global agreement at COP15 in Copenhagen. Climate Group first ventured in work around electric vehicles with EV20, a global initiative designed to accelerate the deployment of electric cars, also at COP15.

In 2014, Climate Group launched its global corporate renewable energy initiative RE100 at Climate Week NYC, the same year that Climate Group established the We Mean Business Coalition as a founding partner. Two years later saw the launch of global corporate energy efficiency initiative EP100 and in 2017 EV100, the global initiative for accelerating the transition to electric vehicles was launched at Climate Week NYC.

In 2011, Mark Kenber took over from Steve Howard as CEO. In 2017, Helen Clarkson became CEO, following Mark Kenber's resignation in 2016. SteelZero publicly launched with an initial group of committed corporates on 1 December 2020, followed by ConcreteZero which launched in July 2022. Later that year, in September, EV100+ launched, an extension of the EV100 programme focused on the transition of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles (MHDVs), to zero emission by 2040.

The current chair of Climate Group UK board is Mike Rann AC, CNZM.

Impact
Since its launch, Climate Group has worked constructively with businesses and subnational governments to drive collective impact at scale and speed.

Some of the most notable impacts over the past few years are:

 * In 2018 and 2019, the Future Fund supported the State of Colima in Mexico to update and strengthen its emissions inventory according to the IPCC guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories. With this data, the state could estimate 2030 baseline scenarios for the emission of greenhouse gases for the energy, industrial processes and product use (IPPU), agriculture, forestry, and other land uses (AFOLU) and waste sectors.
 * The Vice Governor of Chungnam gave a keynote speech in support of SteelZero at the SteelZero Summit in 2023, saying "As Korea's major steel companies are located in South Chungcheong Province, we are actively pursuing policies for corporate structural transformation related to the decarbonisation of the steel industry while working closely with SteelZero to realise carbon neutrality in the steel industry." Chungnam is a significant steel-producing region in South Korea, with the Vice Governor being a key subnational policymaker.
 * Following COP28, commitments from the Under2 Coalition member governments included:
 * Four states committed to reduce GHG emissions, including methane, from livestock by at least 30% by 2030.
 * Eight states committed to 100% net zero operating emissions government buildings by 2030 or all government buildings to use 100% clean electricity.
 * Nine states, from five continents, committed to provide fiscal or programmatic incentives, funding and/or technical support to cities to halve emissions by 2030 and go net zero by 2050 latest.
 * The government of British Columbia, Canada, signed four energy commitments, including to reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sector 45-50% by 2025 and no less than 75-80% by 2030, below 2015 levels.
 * The B20, part of the G20 in India 2023, officially partnered with SteelZero India to co-host an event and policy discussion. The event was part of a series of talks and policy advocacy forums being held across India with an overall aim to realise the G20's strategic vision, with actionable policy recommendations. Later that year, the G20 committed to tripling the global renewable energy capacity by 2030.
 * The Increasing Ambition project (2022) successfully persuaded 20 prospective members of RE100, operating in less mature renewable energy markets, to commit to more ambitious target dates of 2040 or earlier for achieving 100% renewable electricity. This would avert the consumption of an estimated 49TWh of fossil fuel powered electricity, equivalent to over a month of electricity used by the United Kingdom.

Events
Throughout the year, Climate Group hosts a range of global events, including Climate Week NYC, the largest annual climate event of its kind, bringing together some 600 events and activities across the City of New York – in person, hybrid, and online. The event takes place alongside the United Nations General Assembly, and is run in coordination with the United Nations and City of New York, allowing heads of state and other senior governmental figures to attend and participate.

Hosted every September since 2009, the event brings together international leaders from business, government, and civil society to showcase global climate action. In 2023, Climate Week NYC included 585 events, with over 6,500 attendees participating online and in person. This was the largest Climate Group summit to date with a media reach of 6.9 billion.

Climate Group also hosts the US Climate Action Summit, and Climate Group Asia Action Summit, bringing together regional leaders and industry experts to drive impactful climate action.

The US Climate Action Summit was launched in 2021 to unite key leaders in business, politics and the third sector to drive US climate momentum. The event takes place in Washington DC providing an action-led platform that drives measurable outcomes on climate policy and business action, with attendees at the heart of the agenda. The Leaders’ Forum, the flagship event of the summit, brings together over 200 climate leaders for an agenda curated to facilitate big conversations on stage while allowing leaders to drill into the detail during closed-door workshops and roundtables. Climate Group Asia Action Summit is a one-day event bringing together the sharpest minds from across the public and private sectors in Asia to catapult climate action into a new era of implementation. The 2023 summit in Singapore was the first iteration of the event and laid the groundwork for future action.

COP
Climate Group consistently plays an active role in the COP process, largely through the work of the Under2 Coalition and its states and regions. The first Under2 Coalition General Assembly was held at COP21 in Marrakech in November 2016. Since then, it has met every year to maximise opportunities for multilevel working between national and regional governments across the world.

2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) focused more on subnational governments than any COP before, particularly through the Local Climate Action Summit, facilitated by Bloomberg Philanthropies. The summit, held at the start of COP28, hosted over 450 attendees from more than 60 countries, including over 250 mayors and governors. Under2 Coalition governments from all regions were represented and had the opportunity to highlight their climate concerns as well as to share their stories of success.

At COP28, members and signatories of the Under2 Coalition made a range of high-profile announcements and commitments to mitigate climate change. For example, Catalonia and California launched a global partnership for the adaptation and mitigation of climate change, Scotland committed to new funding for clean and reliable energy  in three African countries, and New South Wales published a series of policy compendium on nature-based solutions through the Net Zero Futures Policy Forum, identifying examples of progress and best practice across Australia.

The Under2 Coalition secretariat itself supported and promoted the Coalition for High Ambition Multi-level Partnerships (CHAMP), which asks nations to commit to consulting their local and regional governments to build their national climate goals. The text was supported by more than 60 national governments with more being invited to join after the summit. The secretariat also contributed to the Integrity Matters for Cities, States and Regions report, which made recommendations for subnational governments to ensure their net zero goals have credibility, accountability and transparency.

Through the Local Government and Municipal Authority (LGMA), the Under2 Coalition's focal point into the UNFCCC, subnational governments negotiated hard to have their role recognised in the final COP outcomes text, which resulted in several references to state and regional governments being included in the Global Stocktake and Global Goal on Adaptation, emphasising that national governments should work to accelerate multi-level action and ensure the inclusion of subnational governments.

Membership
Climate group brings together a global network of over 800 businesses, governments, and signatories working to maximise impact as a collective and deliver a just transition to a net zero future.

Members are supported to reach their net zero goals through four key value pillars:

 * Policy – Through our Policy Working Groups, members contribute to initiatives that drive and promote policy change, including helping to shape our responses to government consultations, position papers, and surveys, to deliver real impact.
 * Profile – Members have access to profile and branding opportunities to demonstrate leadership, including participation in campaigns, speaker slots, and inclusion in progress reports showcasing collective achievements.
 * Network – Members become part of a global network and have access to international knowledge-sharing through regular updates, exclusive events and a hub of curated resources.
 * Impact – Collective action paves the path to change. Our member network drives real-world progress by committing to programmes with clearly defined targets and actionable strategies.

Member achievements
Over 420 members are already driving enough renewable electricity demand to power a country larger than France.

Almost 130 of the world's leading companies are committed across almost 100 markets are working to transition their fleets to EV and install EV charging for staff and customers by 2030. That's 5.6 million vehicles committed by 2030.

CO2 emissions have been reduced by more than 320 million metric tonnes thanks to energy efficiency measures taken by over 120 members. That's more than the current annual emissions of France and Switzerland combined.

Climate Group Programmes
Climate Group has key systems of focus including energy, transport, heavy industry and food. Programmes include:

RE100  RE100 is a global initiative bringing together the world's most influential companies leading the transition to 100% renewable electricity. Its mission is to accelerate change towards zero carbon grids at scale and send a powerful demand signal to policymakers and investors to help address market challenges.

EP100  EP100 is a global corporate energy efficiency initiative bringing together ambitious businesses committed to measuring and reporting on efficiency improvements. To date, EP100 members have saved US$1.2 billion whilst reducing their emissions by more than the annual emissions of Denmark, Italy and Portugal combined.

EV100  EV100 is a global initiative bringing together companies committed to accelerating the transition to electric vehicles (EVs) and making electric transport the new normal by 2030. EV100 members are increasing demand for EVs, influencing policy, and driving mass roll-out, helping to make EVs more rapidly affordable for everyone.

EV100+ was launched in 2022. It's an initiative of companies committed to transitioning their fleet of vehicles over 7.5 tonnes, known as medium- and heavy-duty vehicles (MHDVs), to zero emissions by 2040 in OECD markets, China, and India.

SteelZero

SteelZero is a global initiative that brings together leading organisations to speed up the transition to a net zero steel industry, by members making a public commitment to procure 100% net zero steel by 2050.

ConcreteZero

ConcreteZero is a global initiative that brings together pioneering organisations to create a market for net zero concrete. By harnessing members' collective purchasing power and influence, the programme sends a strong demand signal to shift global markets, investment and policies towards the sustainable production and sourcing of concrete.

Under2 Coalition

The Under2 Coalition builds on the legacy of its forerunner, the States and Regions Alliance.

Launched in 2015, the Coalition is the largest network of subnational governments committed to reaching net zero emissions by 2050 or earlier. As of May 2024, the Coalition represents 178 individual states, regions, provinces, and subnational governments along with several other national and subnational entities. This includes more than 270 actors, totalling more than 50% of global GDP. In 2021, the original Under2 Memorandum of Understanding was revised by members of the Steering Group to align with the 1.5 degrees Celsius target of the Paris Agreement. Signatories must now commit to reaching net zero emissions by 2050, or earlier.

The Future Fund, launched in 2017, is a project offering a powerful source of climate funding, supporting subnational governments on their journey to reach net zero emissions by 2050, at the latest. It ensures that state and regional governments of developing and emerging economies can join international climate discussions, share their ideas and insights on the world stage, and take climate action where it matters.

Since 2017, the project has raised US$1million from Under2 Coalition members and delivered 15 directly funded capacity building projects, supported 21 secondments, welcomed 88 regions from developing and emerging economies to the Under2 Coalition and enabled 65 regional representatives to join international climate events, such as COPs and Climate Week NYC. The Future Fund has helped to level the playing field in international climate discussions by ensuring participation of some of the most overlooked states and regions in the world. Going forward, Climate Group aims to diversify the work and funding streams of this flagship project to scale up its impact and reach.

Funding
Climate Group functions independently of any corporate and government entities and funds its work from a variety of revenue streams. Its 2004 launch was supported primarily by philanthropic organisations, including the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the DOEN Foundation, the John D and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation. Climate Group is registered with the Fundraising Regulator Climate Group's 2022-2023 annual report indicated the three primary funding streams were; government and foundation grants (50%), sponsorship income for our events including Climate Week NYC plus other smaller events (25%), and membership and partnership income (25%).

title: Climate Group


text:
Talk:Field Order Number 15

The article is misnamed ("Special Field Order") and there is already a fairly complete article on 40 acres and a mule which is the term for Special Field Order Number 15. --Kmorrow 13:38, 17 July 2005 (UTC)

 * Seems like a reasonable title for a redirect to me. -- Cyrius|✎ 23:04, 17 July 2005 (UTC)

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Talk:Field Order Number 15


text:
Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park

The Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park is a linear regional park in Northern Virginia. The park's primary feature is the Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Trail (abbreviated as W&OD Trail), an asphalt-surfaced paved rail trail that runs through densely populated urban and suburban communities as well as through rural areas. Most of the trail travels on top of the rail bed of the former Washington and Old Dominion Railroad, which closed in 1968.

Although the park is 44.6 mi long, it is only about 100 ft wide. The rail trail is approximately 10 ft wide through much of its length and is a shared use path that is suitable for walking, running, cycling, and roller skating.

A crushed bluestone–surfaced bridle path travels near the paved trail in the park's most westerly 33 mi. The path is suitable for horseback riding and mountain biking.

NOVA Parks administers and maintains the park and its trails. NOVA Parks keeps most of the parkland surrounding the trails in a natural state. The park authority has placed alongside the paved trail a series of mile markers and a number of interpretative exhibits that describe the historic and natural features of the park (see Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Stations for locations of historical markers near the W&OD Trail).

The headquarters office of the park is near the southwest side of the trail at Smith's Switch Road in Ashburn. A park rest stop is adjacent to the trail near the park's headquarters.

Route
The W&OD Trail begins in the Nauck neighborhood near the Shirlington section of Arlington County, close to the boundary between the County and the City of Alexandria. Photographs and description of the area and markers at the W&OD Trail's trailhead:
 * In
 * Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority historical marker at trailhead of W&OD Trail: In
 * In
 * Coordinates of W&OD Trail trailhead: 38.84427°N, -77.08588°W The trail ends in Purcellville in western Loudoun County. Its route largely parallels the routes of the Potomac River and Virginia State Route 7 (VA 7).

The trail connects at its origin to the paved Four Mile Run Trail, which travels eastward through Arlington along a stream embankment to meet the Mount Vernon Trail at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, near the Potomac River. The start of the trail is also accessible from the Shirlington exit (Exit 6) of Interstate 395 (I-395) (the Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway). The trail parallels the more curving and hilly Four Mile Run Trail throughout its route in Arlington. Although they coincide in several locations, the two trails generally travel on opposite sides of the Run. There are no restrooms and few water fountains alongside the W&OD Trail in the County. Restrooms and additional water fountains are available near ball fields and picnic areas along the Four Mile Run Trail.

The W&OD Trail's trailhead (Mile 0) is at the intersection of South Shirlington Road and South Four Mile Run Drive. The trail starts in the Atlantic Coastal Plain at the trail's lowest elevation: 72 ft above sea level.

The trail climbs 213 ft in 5.8 mi while traveling northwest through Arlington County. While in Arlington, the trail ascends through the Atlantic Seaboard fall line while climbing upstream in the valley of Four Mile Run. The trail crosses the Run seven times in the valley on bridges whose abutments were constructed before the Civil War by the Alexandria, Loudoun & Hampshire Railroad, a predecessor of the W&OD Railroad.

After crossing Columbia Pike (VA 244), the trail enters a steeply-sloped woodland that covers both sides of the valley. The trail crosses under Arlington Boulevard (U.S. Route 50) while within the woodland.

Near the end of the woodland, the trail intersects the Bluemont Junction Trail, a 1.3 mile long paved rail trail that travels to Ballston on the bed of a former W&OD Railroad branch that once ran to Rosslyn and Georgetown. 0.6 mi past that intersection, the W&OD Trail intersects the Custis Trail, a 4.5 mi long paved shared use path that travels along Interstate 66 (I-66) (the Custis Memorial Parkway) to Rosslyn and which provides access to Washington, D.C. and the northern end of the Mount Vernon Trail.

After crossing its intersection with the Custis Trail, the W&OD Trail travels northwest near an I-66 soundwall for most of its remaining course in Arlington. After crossing under North Sycamore Street next to Four Mile Run, the W&OD Trail crosses over the Run and passes the East Falls Church station on Washington Metro's Orange and Silver Lines.

After leaving the fall line, the W&OD Trail enters the Piedmont plateau region near the west corner of the County. The trail continues to climb in the Piedmont while traveling northwest through the City of Falls Church and Fairfax County.

The trail reaches an elevation of 489 ft at its crossing of I-66 in Fairfax County. When it reaches this point, the trail has risen 417 ft while traveling 8.4 mi.

After crossing over I-495 (the Capital Beltway) on a trail bridge and passing Dunn Loring, the trail begins a long descent as it travels through Vienna. After leaving Vienna, the trail continues to descend until it reaches Mile 14, where its elevation of 242 ft is only 170 ft higher than is its elevation at the trail's origin.

After the trail crosses Difficult Run (Mile 14.3), it ascends and descends between additional streams (including Sugarland Run, Broad Run, Beaverdam Run, Goose Creek, Sycolin Creek and Tuscarora Creek) as it travels further northwest in the Piedmont through or near Reston, Herndon, Sterling, Ashburn, and Leesburg. While traveling through Reston, the trail crosses Wiehle Avenue (VA 828), 0.3 mi northeast of the Wiehle–Reston East station on Washington Metro's Silver Line.

When crossing Tuscarora Creek in Leesburg, the trail's elevation of 315 ft is only 2 ft higher than the highest elevation 313 ft that it reached in Arlington. After crossing that stream, the trail climbs northwest in 6.0 mi to reach its highest elevation (606 ft) while traveling on a bridge carrying VA 9 (Charles Town Pike) over VA 7 near the saddle point of Clarke's Gap in Catoctin Mountain. 0.3 mi before this crossing, the trail travels under an old stone arch that formerly carried VA 7 over the W&OD Railroad.

The trail then turns west, descends through Paeonian Springs to Hamilton Station and climbs to reach Purcellville. When the trail terminates in Purcellville, its elevation is 513 ft above sea level.

History
When the W&OD Railroad closed in 1968, its 100 ft wide right-of-way extended from Potomac Yard in Alexandria to the center of Purcellville. In October 1968, the Virginia State Highway Department started condemnation proceedings to acquire the right-of-way, which was eventually donated to the state, where it crossed Shirley Highway. The section where it crossed the future Interstate 66 was also donated. In the same year that the railroad closed, the land that lay west of the Alexandria/Arlington boundary was sold for $4.91 million to Virginia Electric and Power Company (VEPCO) (part of which was incorporated into Dominion Virginia Power in 2000) for power line right-of-way. Also in 1968, the Town of Vienna rejected a proposal to ask the State Highway Commission to add the railroad ROW to the urban road system for Northern Virginia and instead sought to purchase the ROW and include part of it in the new Northside Park. In 1969, Vienna asked VEPCO to give them the ROW through town.

In 1971, voters in Fairfax County approved a $35 million park bond referendum that was to be used in part to buy the W&OD right of way in the county and buy another 590 acres of land along the route for campgrounds and picnic areas (but due to slow negotiations with VEPCO, that money spent elsewhere). 1972, voters approved the construction of a trail, then called "The Virginia Creeper," along the right-of way.

In 1973 a study of the right-of-way proposed using it for a linear park.

Trail construction and extension
The first portion of the W&OD Trail opened in 1974 within the City of Falls Church under a lease agreement between the City government, the power company VEPCO and the NVRPA. It extended from Little Falls Street to Railroad Avenue. By late 1976 a second, 1-mile long section opened in Vienna - again with permission from VEPCO. As the 1.5 mi trails proved to be popular, the NVRPA and Fairfax County proposed building a 7.5 mile long trail to connect them as part of a Bicentennial project but VEPCO refused to give the land away, lease it for a $1 a year or sell it in pieces; instead it wanted sell the whole piece of property at once.

After the state legislature passed a unanimous resolution in favor of the trail, and promised oversite of VEPCO, the impasse was overcome. VEPCO agreed to sell the entire right-of-way to NVRPA on December 19, 1977 for $3.6 million, allowing regular purchases of it between 1978 and 1982; and Fairfax County voters passed another $51.1 million bond referendum that included money to pay for it. The power company retained an easement that permitted the company to maintain its lines and to extend them along the right-of-way if needed.

The NVRPA was not able to acquire from the power company the portion of the right-of-way that lay within the City of Alexandria. The NVRPA also could not acquire the portion of right-of-way that the highway department had retained for construction of I-66 near East Falls Church in Arlington and various portions of the right-of-way that contained existing or potential highway crossings.

The NVRPA extended the trail east and west of Falls Church as it acquired portions of the right-of-way until it stretched from Alexandria to Purcellville. In 1979, the trail was extended 26 mi westward from Falls Church to Goose Creek with the aid of a federal Rails-to-Trails grant, although it was only paved as far as Maple Avenue East (VA Route 123) in Vienna - a distance of 6 mi. Beyond that it was only suitable for hiking.

In 1981, the NVRPA paved the trail from Vienna to Herndon. During the same year, the NVRPA also converted a section 12 mi long from Herndon to Leesburg from a hiking trail to a gravel path.

In 1982, the NVRPA completed a trail underpass at U.S. 15 (Leesburg Bypass) east of Leesburg, increasing the trail's total distance to over 30 mi. The trail's route west of Leesburg remained accessible only by foot.

Also in 1982, the trail was extended and paved eastward from Falls Church to Patrick Henry Drive in Arlington as part of the construction of I-66. During that same time period, the NVRPA began paving the easternmost section of trail from Shirlington Road to Columbia Pike (VA 244) in Arlington, with that work completed by the end of 1983.

In September 1984, the NVRPA finished paving two sections of the trail, an extension westward from Herndon to Sterling and, two weeks later, an extension east from I-66 to Columbia Pike. Prior to the 1984 completion, the Arlington section of the trail from Columbia Pike to Lee Highway had been a dirt and gravel path. A sewer construction project that traveled along Four Mile Run delayed the paving for years.

In 1985, the NVRPA extended the paved portion of the trail through Leesburg, together with a parallel bridle path that NVRPA extended to Purcellville. The paved trail reached its western terminus in Purcellville in 1988.

In 2002, the NVRPA constructed the final section of the trail in and near Arlington County's. Construction was delayed for years after encountering opposition from the public because of the paved section's potential environmental impacts. When completed, the final section connected the W&OD Trail's intersection with the Bluemont Junction Trail to the section of the W&OD Trail that is just east of North Carlin Springs Road. The final section included a new trail bridge over Four Mile Run and an underpass below North Carlin Springs Road. Multiple sources:
 * A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new W&OD Trail section in and near Bluemont Park took place on May 11, 2002. See:
 * A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new W&OD Trail section in and near Bluemont Park took place on May 11, 2002. See:
 * A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new W&OD Trail section in and near Bluemont Park took place on May 11, 2002. See:
 * A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new W&OD Trail section in and near Bluemont Park took place on May 11, 2002. See:

On October 20, 2007, construction began for a paved trail that would connect the W&OD Trail at its origin with the Four Mile Run Trail by traveling for 3000 ft along a bank of the Run while passing beneath the Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway (I-395) in Alexandria and West Glebe Road in Arlington. On May 30, 2009, a ribbon-cutting ceremony heralded the completion and opening of the connecting trail.

Spot changes
After constructing most of the trail, the NVRPA focused on grade-separating the trail and making other spot changes, sometimes in collaboration with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) or with developers of nearby properties. In 1989, the VDOT completed the Herndon Parkway on the east side of Herndon, which included a trail bridge over the Parkway. In 1990, a trail bridge was constructed over VA 28 in eastern Loudoun County as part of a project to widen that road.

In 1991, the trail crossing of Reston Parkway (VA 602) in Reston was moved from Sunset Hills Road (VA 675) to Bluemont Way. On October 3, 1993, the NVRPA completed a bridge over West Broad Street (VA 7) in Falls Church.

In 1999, a developer, Terrabrook Communities, built a 55 ft wide and 15 ft high arched-concrete trail underpass beneath Reston Parkway as part of an agreement with the NVRPA. The 500 ft of old trail in that section became connectors to the parkway at Bluemont Way. The western section of the Herndon Parkway, with another trail bridge over it, was completed in 1997. In 2001, the VDOT expanded the Fairfax County Parkway (VA 286) across the W&OD Trail right-of-way, building an overpass for the trail at about the same time.

In 2005, the Sugarland Run Valley Stream Trail in Herndon was extended 1 mi to connect to the trail. In May 2006, the VDOT completed work on an extension of Claiborne Parkway (VA 901) that crossed NOVA Parks' right-of-way. As part of the project, the VDOT constructed a bridge that carried the W&OD Trail over the extended Parkway.

On June 15, 2011, VDOT opened a new trail bridge over I-495 that was constructed as part of the Capital Beltway High Occupancy Toll (HOT) Lanes project. The new bridge was both 4 ft wider and 30 ft higher than the one built in 1979. In 2013-2015, an Arlington County streetscape and utilities project realigned the W&OD's Trail's crossing of Columbia Pike (VA 244). An associated Arlington County project constructed a plaza and a bicycle "learner's loop" adjacent to the realigned trail in the County's Glencarlyn Park. Multiple sources:

In late 2015, a truck-climbing lane project was completed on VA 7 in Clarke's Gap. The project realigned the trail to move its crossing of Charles Town Pike (VA 9) at Dry Mill Road (VA 699) to a new underpass beneath the Pike on the south side of VA 7. The realigned trail bypassed the trail's former high point, reducing the trail's highest elevation above sea level from 680 ft to 606 ft.

In 2017, a bridge carrying Belmont Ridge Road (VA 659) over the W&OD Trail and a trail parking lot was constructed in Loudoun County as part of a project to widen the road. Also in 2017, NOVA Parks made within the County a set of safety improvements at the trail's crossing of S. Sterling Boulevard (VA 846), including removing one left turn lane to reduce the trail's crossing distance, installing Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons, and widening the Boulevard's median

On March 12, 2021, the VDOT opened a W&OD Trail pedestrian and bicycle bridge over Lee Highway (U.S. 29) in Arlington County's East Falls Church neighborhood as part of its "Transform 66 - Inside the Beltway" I-66 eastbound widening project. When planning the project, the VDOT hosted several public meetings that provided information about the bridge, which had raised concerns among neighborhood residents. Shortly afterwards there was a campaign to name the bridge for cyclist Peter Beers.

On July 9th, 2024 the Fairfax County Department of Transportation opened a new trail bridge over Wiehle Avenue in Reston. The bridge was recommended in an April 2008 study by the Reston Metrorail Access Group, an advisory committee created in spring 2006 to prepare for the arrival of Metro’s Silver Line. The Wiehle Metro station opened in 2014, but the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors didn’t approve a final design for the bridge crossing until July 2018. Preliminary work relocating utilities started in 2021, and construction started in March 2023.

W&OD Dual Trails project
Around 2017, NOVA Parks commissioned a feasibility study for a potential widening of the W&OD Trail or for adding a parallel trail to it within Falls Church and Arlington County because of high use at peak times. The study's author recommended that NOVA Parks make plans to construct a 16 ft or 19 ft wide trail within the two jurisdictions, while temporarily widening the trail to 11 feet.

In June 2018, NOVA Parks received a $3.2 million grant from the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority that enabled it to expand a 1.2 mi long W&OD Trail segment within the City of Falls Church. The project converted an 11 ft wide section of the trail and part of its adjacent green space into a dual paved path containing a 12 ft wide bicycle trail and an 8 ft wide pedestrian trail. A 2 ft wide strip of pavement separated the two routes, creating a 22 ft wide transportation corridor that doubled the W&OD Trail's width.Multiple sources:

The two imperviously-surfaced trails traveled through a 16 acre urban open space that a 2016 Falls Church master plan had called "The City's Greenest Street". The master plan's "Vision Statement" stated that the project would help "Develop the W&OD Park as a Great Street and greenway".

Officials broke ground on the Falls Church "W&OD Dual Trails" project on August 26, 2020. Multiple sources:
 * The widened trail formally opened during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on October 7, 2021. Multiple sources:
 * The executive director of NOVA Parks, Paul Gilbert, stated during the event: "I envision over the next decade, more and more urban sections of the W&OD Trail will take on this dual trail methodology."
 * The widened trail formally opened during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on October 7, 2021. Multiple sources:
 * The executive director of NOVA Parks, Paul Gilbert, stated during the event: "I envision over the next decade, more and more urban sections of the W&OD Trail will take on this dual trail methodology."
 * The executive director of NOVA Parks, Paul Gilbert, stated during the event: "I envision over the next decade, more and more urban sections of the W&OD Trail will take on this dual trail methodology."
 * The executive director of NOVA Parks, Paul Gilbert, stated during the event: "I envision over the next decade, more and more urban sections of the W&OD Trail will take on this dual trail methodology."
 * The executive director of NOVA Parks, Paul Gilbert, stated during the event: "I envision over the next decade, more and more urban sections of the W&OD Trail will take on this dual trail methodology."
 * The executive director of NOVA Parks, Paul Gilbert, stated during the event: "I envision over the next decade, more and more urban sections of the W&OD Trail will take on this dual trail methodology."

Designations
In 1987, the U. S. Department of the Interior designated the trail as a National Recreation Trail. In 1999, Virginia Department of Historic Resources staff determined that the "Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Historic District" (053-0276) was eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Multiple sources:
 * A 2000 NRHP registration form states that the Historic District is eligible for the listing because the District "is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history". The form contains an in-depth description of the District's historical resources and of the railroad's history, as well as maps that show the locations of the Districts's major historical features.
 * A 2000 NRHP registration form states that the Historic District is eligible for the listing because the District "is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history". The form contains an in-depth description of the District's historical resources and of the railroad's history, as well as maps that show the locations of the Districts's major historical features.
 * A 2000 NRHP registration form states that the Historic District is eligible for the listing because the District "is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history". The form contains an in-depth description of the District's historical resources and of the railroad's history, as well as maps that show the locations of the Districts's major historical features.
 * A 2000 NRHP registration form states that the Historic District is eligible for the listing because the District "is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history". The form contains an in-depth description of the District's historical resources and of the railroad's history, as well as maps that show the locations of the Districts's major historical features.

Historic structures
The park and its immediate surroundings contain a number of historic structures, some of which date to the pre-Civil War period. Most of these structures are railroad remnants, including intact stations at Vienna, Sunset Hills, Herndon, Hamilton and Purcellville,  stone arches and culverts, the piers and abutments of bridges, and a relocated passenger shelter (formerly at the site of the Clarks Gap station at the present crossing of the trail and Dry Mill Road (VA 699); now at the former site of the Paeonian Springs station near Simpson Circle). Multiple sources:
 * showing passenger shelter and "Additional comment" dated January 29, 2008. In In
 * showing passenger shelter and "Additional comment" dated January 29, 2008. In In

Part of the reinforced concrete floor of a brick electrical substation that the railroad constructed in 1912 to help supply power to its new electric locomotives and trolley cars is visible in Arlington County's Bluemont Junction Railroad Display south of Wilson Boulevard. The floor is located in the space between a soccer field and a Southern Railway caboose.

A remnant of a coal trestle stands south of the W&OD Trail, near the west end of the trail's bridge over Lee Highway (U.S. 29) in Arlington. In June 2014, the owner of a property adjacent to the regional park demolished part of the structure to provide space for a planned self-storage facility. At the time, the Arlington County government was considering a proposal to designate the structure as a local historic district. In September 2014, the Arlington County Board designated the remaining portion of trestle, which was located on NVRPA property, as a local historic district. Multiple sources:
 * The trestle was once adjacent to the west side of the railroad's Falls Church (East Falls Church) station, which was dismantled after the railroad closed.
 * The trestle was once adjacent to the west side of the railroad's Falls Church (East Falls Church) station, which was dismantled after the railroad closed.
 * The trestle was once adjacent to the west side of the railroad's Falls Church (East Falls Church) station, which was dismantled after the railroad closed.
 * The trestle was once adjacent to the west side of the railroad's Falls Church (East Falls Church) station, which was dismantled after the railroad closed.
 * The trestle was once adjacent to the west side of the railroad's Falls Church (East Falls Church) station, which was dismantled after the railroad closed.
 * The trestle was once adjacent to the west side of the railroad's Falls Church (East Falls Church) station, which was dismantled after the railroad closed.
 * The trestle was once adjacent to the west side of the railroad's Falls Church (East Falls Church) station, which was dismantled after the railroad closed.

A white metallic marker post lettered in black with the words "Station 1 Mile" stands on the north side of the trail west of Little Falls Road near the boundary between Arlington and Falls Church. This post, which once stood next to the W&OD Railroad's tracks, is one mile (1.6 km) east of the site of the railroad's demolished West Falls Church Station. The station was located near the east side of the railroad's crossing of W. Broad Street (VA 7) in Falls Church.

Near the east end of Vienna, the poured concrete abutment of a bridge that carried an interurban trolley line, the Arlington & Fairfax Railway, over the W&OD Railroad remains on the north side of the trail. An inscription showing the month and year of the abutment's construction (July 1904) is visible on the structure's east side.

Portions of track were visible near the W&OD Trail's crossing of Ruritan Circle (Old Church Road, VA 859) in Sterling during 2016.

The trail crosses Goose Creek in Loudoun County on a span that NVRPA built on top of the piers and abutments of the highest and longest (268 ft) bridge that the railroad constructed within the present boundaries of the regional park. Visitors can view these remnants and the intact span, pier and abutments of the railroad's deck girder bridge over Sycolin Creek from unpaved paths that travel between the streams in NVRPA's Two Creeks Trail Area on the north side of the trail. Multiple sources:
 * Description and 1972 photograph of Sycolin Creek bridge in Williams, Appendix II, Bridges and Structures
 * 2007 photograph of trail bridge over Goose Creek . In
 * Undated photograph of trail bridge over Goose Creek
 * Coordinates of path to view of piers and abutments of former railroad bridge over Goose Creek: 39.07023°N, -77.52004°W
 * Coordinates of path to view of span, piers and abutments of former railroad bridge over Sycolin Creek: 39.07209°N, -77.52302°W
 * Coordinates of path to view of span, piers and abutments of former railroad bridge over Sycolin Creek: 39.07209°N, -77.52302°W

The Sycolin Creek bridge bears the only remaining span that once carried trains of the W&OD Railroad. As the trail travels on the concrete deck of the bridge, visitors can only see the span and the structures below if they leave the trail.

The piers and abutments of the railroad's bridge over Tuscarora Creek are visible south of the trail near the east end of Leesburg. The bridge was the second longest (149 ft) that the railroad built within the present boundaries of the regional park. The piers and abutments are the only ones along the trail's route that do not presently support a bridge.

Remnants of the facilities of a 19th-century lime company are visible in Leesburg on the northeast side of the trail, southeast of Harrison Street SE. Limestone (calcium carbonate) from a company quarry was mixed with coal and burned in a nearby kiln that was adjacent to the railroad's tracks. Quicklime (calcium oxide) was brought out of the kiln through two arched openings that visitors can see from the trail. The company also supplied farmers with agricultural lime and provided builders with lime plaster for walls and stone for roads.

Near the saddle point of Clarks Gap, a stone arch crosses over the trail. Constructed around 1867-1868 soon after the end of the Civil War, the masonry arch once carried the original VA 7 over the railroad's tracks at the railroad's highest point. The arch now carries Dry Mill Road (VA 699) over the trail.

Displays and museums
The Norfolk Southern Railway and its predecessors have donated three cabooses for display along the W&OD Trail. While none of these resemble the cabooses that once travelled along the route of the W&OD Railroad, two of the three cars house exhibits of materials relating to the W&OD Railroad and Trail.

A Southern Railway bay window caboose (number X441) within the Bluemont Junction Railroad Display in Arlington exhibits photographs, maps and other information related to the County's railroads and trolleys. Multiple sources:
 * Photographs of interior and exterior of Southern Railway caboose in Bluemont Junction Railroad Display.
 * Photograph of Southern Railway caboose in Bluemont Junction Railroad Display.
 * Photographs of exterior and interior of Southern Railway caboose and historical markers in Bluemont Junction Railroad Display.
 * Photograph of Bluemont Junction Railroad Display.
 * Photograph of caboose in Bluemont Junction Railroad Display.
 * Staffed by a County park ranger, the caboose is open to the public on weekend afternoons from the Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. The display also contains outdoor signage and photographs that describe and illustrate the history of the W&OD Railroad and of its junction that once operated at the site of the exhibit, as well as a metallic crossbuck and a metallic marker post that was once located 1 mi from a station. Multiple sources:
 * In
 * List containing links to web pages for six historical markers in and near the Bluemont Junction Railroad Display near the W&OD Trail in Arlington County
 * Photograph of Southern Railway caboose, historical marker, shed and cross buck in Bluemont Junction Railroad Display.
 * Photographs of interior and exterior of Southern Railway caboose, historical markers and display of historical railroad photographs in Bluemont Junction Railroad Display.
 * Three markers near W&OD Trail in Bluemont Junction Railroad Display each containing a part of a historical photograph of Bluemont Junction.
 * Photographs of interior and exterior of Southern Railway caboose, historical markers and display of historical railroad photographs in Bluemont Junction Railroad Display.
 * Three markers near W&OD Trail in Bluemont Junction Railroad Display each containing a part of a historical photograph of Bluemont Junction.

Adjacent to the Trail in Vienna, the Freeman Store houses a museum of the town's history. The museum contains maps, books and other materials that relate to the W&OD Railroad. Operated by Historic Vienna, Inc., the museum is open to the public during the afternoons of each week from Wednesdays through Sundays.

A cupola caboose near the Trail in Vienna Centennial Park contains a museum that houses materials that the W&OD Railroad once used. Staffed by members of the Optimist Club of Greater Vienna, bearing on its sides the name "WASHINGTON & OLD DOMINION RAILROAD" and numbered 503, the caboose is open to the public during the afternoons on selected weekends and holidays. Near the caboose is a historical marker, an NVRPA information sign, a metallic crossbuck on a wooden post and a metallic marker post that was once located 1 mi from a station. Multiple sources:
 * Informational booklet containing photographs of the existing caboose, crossbuck and "Station 1 Mile" railroad marker in Vienna Centennial Park and of a wood caboose bearing the name "Old Dominion" and the number 502:
 * A metallic white railroad whistle post with black markings is located in Vienna Centennial Park on the north side of the Trail between Church Street NE and the caboose.
 * A metallic white railroad whistle post with black markings is located in Vienna Centennial Park on the north side of the Trail between Church Street NE and the caboose.
 * A metallic white railroad whistle post with black markings is located in Vienna Centennial Park on the north side of the Trail between Church Street NE and the caboose.

The W&OD Railroad station in Vienna houses a museum and a model railroad layout. Operated by the Northern Virginia Model Railroaders, Inc., the museum displays materials that the W&OD Railroad once used and a model of the station as it appeared when steam locomotives stopped at the station. The model railroad and museum is open to the public during the afternoon of one Saturday of each month except June and August.

The W&OD Railroad station in Herndon houses the Herndon Depot Museum, which the Herndon Historical Society operates. The museum, which is open on Sundays from noon to 3:00 p.m. from March to mid-December, displays photographs and newspaper articles relating to the history of the Town of Herndon and the W&OD Railroad.

The museum also contains materials that the railroad once used. The museum additionally contains information about the history of a nearby Norfolk and Western Railway cupola caboose whose sides bore the name and logo of the W&OD Railroad and the number 504 in 2006. A railroad whistle post is located near the caboose.

An overlook at the Luck Stone Quarry east of Goose Creek displays a large trap rock quarry. This mineral provides bulk for concrete, macadam and paving stones.

The W&OD Railroad station in Purcellville houses the Loudoun Visitors Center. The Visitors Center contains a W&OD Railroad historical display and hosts wine-tasting events. The Visitors Center is open from noon to 4:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays from late April through October.

Natural resources
Most of the landscaping in the park is left in a natural state to preserve green space and to provide wildlife habitat. Some natural areas within the park are contiguous to larger natural areas in adjacent public parks, including those in and around the Sparrow Pond wetland, Brandymore Castle and Four Mile Run in Arlington, Piney Branch and Difficult Run in Fairfax County, and the confluence of Goose Creek and Sycolin Creek in Loudoun County.

Park interpreters, local teachers, environmental groups and amateur naturalists use the park as a resource for plant and animal study. These groups have identified approximately 450 species of wildflowers and more than 100 species of birds in the park. Wildlife in the park includes mammals such as foxes, river otters and beavers, and reptiles such as turtles and snakes. A variety of hawks and owls and other resident, non-resident and migratory birds, both upland and aquatic, find habitat in the park.

Transmission lines
The W&OD Trail lies beneath a set of electric power transmission lines between its trailhead and the Dominion Virginia Power's Pleasant View Substation in Loudoun County southeast of Leesburg. The power company removes trees along this section of the trail to protect its lines, at times eliciting protests from members of the public and elected officials in the impacted jurisdictions. Trees shade much of the remainder of the trail.

In 2004, Dominion Virginia Power announced plans to extend its transmission lines in Loudoun County above ground from the Pleasant View Substation northwestward along the route of the W&OD Trail. In response, on November 15, 2005, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted a resolution of continued opposition to the installation of the proposed transmission lines along the Trail. Multiple sources:

Citing the impending loss of trees along its trail, the NVRPA asked the public on December 13, 2005, to oppose Dominion Virginia Power's application for the transmission line project in hearings that the State Corporation Commission (SCC) was planning to conduct as part of its review of the project. During 2005, 2006 and 2007, the NVRPA submitted testimony and briefs to the SCC that opposed the construction of transmission lines along the route of the trail. Multiple sources:
 * Obtained in
 * Obtained in
 * In Case No. PUE-2005-00018, Virginia State Corporation Commission. Obtained in
 * Obtained in
 * Obtained in

In January 2007, an SCC hearing examiner recommended the construction of an overhead transmission line that would follow a wooded segment of the W&OD Trail between Leesburg and Clark's Gap. After the SCC ordered the examiner to consider construction of an underground line along that segment of the trail, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted on June 5, 2007, a resolution that supported the location of the line along that segment only if the SCC required Dominion to "install the line underground at a minimum width with the least amount of impact".

The SCC nevertheless approved on February 15, 2008, a transmission line route that would travel above ground for 1.8 mi along the same segment of the trail. The Commission's approval order stated that the SCC had adopted the Examiner's recommendation against underground construction "due to both the physical, and the cost to the ratepayers, of the impacts that would result therefrom."

Less than three weeks later, on March 4 and 5, 2008, the Senate and the House of Delegates of the Virginia General Assembly unanimously passed emergency legislation that ordered the SCC to approve the underground construction of the line along that segment of the trail as part of a statewide pilot program for the development of such types of transmission lines. Sponsored by Delegate Joe T. May (Republican - Loudoun), the legislation exempted the project from any requirements for further SCC analyses relating to the impacts of the route, including environmental impacts and impacts upon historical resources.

The legislation went into effect when Virginia Governor Tim Kaine approved it on April 2, 2008. Soon afterwards, the power company asked the SCC to approve construction of the underground transmission line in accordance with the terms of the legislation. The SCC approved construction of the underground line on May 28, 2008.

The NVRPA expected the project to result in a significant loss of trees, as the power company planned to dig trenches on each side of the paved trail while installing duct banks to house its conduits. Supporting the NVRPA's expectation, Dominion Virginia Power noted that the environmental impacts associated with underground cable installation in suburban and rural areas are significantly greater than are those of overhead line construction. The W&OD Trail closed for a year in the project area while the power company constructed its underground lines. The trail reopened to the public in November 2010.

Arlington County
In July 2020, NOVA Parks received a $650,000 grant from the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) that enabled NOVA Parks to make plans to extend the organization's "Dual Trails" project for 2 mi eastward from the City of Falls Church into Arlington County (from North Roosevelt Street to North Carlin Springs Road). Although NOVA Parks had asked NVTA for sufficient funds ($5,646,000) to complete the project, the NVTA awarded only the amount that NOVA Parks had requested for design, engineering and environmental work. Multiple sources:

The reduced award followed an NVTA public comment period that attracted more than 300 responders. Most comments supported the expansion, although the majority of comments that NVTA could identify as coming from Arlington opposed it.

Loudoun County
There have been plans to extend the trail west to Bluemont and the Appalachian Trail since the 1980s. Loudoun County's 2003 Bicycle and Pedestrian Mobility Master Plan and Virginia's 2013 and 2018 Outdoors Plans recommend such extensions. Multiple sources:

However, difficulties in identifying a route and acquiring land have prevented construction of a trail along the W&OD Railroad's abandoned right-of-way west of Purcellville. Further, construction has occurred on a portion of the former right-of-way that travels through Round Hill.

For those reasons, the Loudoun County government is no longer considering such a route. Instead, the County is now constructing a new trail that will travel between Purcellville and Round Hill along VA-7 (Business) when completed.

In 2019, the County solicited bids to build a 0.6 mi shared-use trail that would travel between Main Street (VA 719) in Round Hill and Franklin Park west of Purcellville along East Loudoun Street (VA-7 (Business)). Construction started on the project in 2020 and reached completion at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on September 27, 2022. Multiple sources:
 * That section of the trail will connect to a trail under design that will travel along West Main Street (VA 7 (Business)) to connect Franklin Park and downtown Purcellville. County planners estimated in 2023 that the Franklin Park - Purcellville trail would reach substantial completion during the spring of 2028. Multiple sources:
 * That section of the trail will connect to a trail under design that will travel along West Main Street (VA 7 (Business)) to connect Franklin Park and downtown Purcellville. County planners estimated in 2023 that the Franklin Park - Purcellville trail would reach substantial completion during the spring of 2028. Multiple sources:
 * That section of the trail will connect to a trail under design that will travel along West Main Street (VA 7 (Business)) to connect Franklin Park and downtown Purcellville. County planners estimated in 2023 that the Franklin Park - Purcellville trail would reach substantial completion during the spring of 2028. Multiple sources:
 * That section of the trail will connect to a trail under design that will travel along West Main Street (VA 7 (Business)) to connect Franklin Park and downtown Purcellville. County planners estimated in 2023 that the Franklin Park - Purcellville trail would reach substantial completion during the spring of 2028. Multiple sources:

Maps and elevation tables

 * Interactive map showing mile markers, points of interest and other features near and along the trail.
 * Google street map and satellite image of the W&OD Trail showing locations of parking areas and other trail features.
 * In
 * Interactive map of entire W&OD Trail and trail segments showing mileages and features along trail.
 * Interactive map of entire W&OD Trail and trail segments showing mileages, elevations and features along trail.
 * Graphical representation of elevations at mileposts on the W&OD Trail (measured during 2012 - 2013),
 * Updated (2012-2013) table of elevations at mileposts and landmarks along the W&OD Trail
 * Maps and descriptions of entire W&OD Trail and trail segments, showing connecting trails.
 * Maps and descriptions of entire W&OD Trail and trail segments, showing connecting trails.
 * Maps and descriptions of entire W&OD Trail and trail segments, showing connecting trails.
 * Maps and descriptions of entire W&OD Trail and trail segments, showing connecting trails.


text:
Kolpak ruling

The Kolpak ruling is a European Court of Justice ruling handed down on 8 May 2003 in favour of Maroš Kolpak, a Slovak handball player. It declared that citizens of countries which have signed European Union Association Agreements have the same right to freedom of work and movement within the EU as EU citizens. Thus any restrictions placed on their right to work (such as quotas setting maximum numbers of such foreign players in sports teams) are deemed illegal under EU law. The legal actions in Germany set a precedent for professional sports in Europe, which have had a wide-ranging effect, especially in regard to English county cricket and European professional rugby.

A Kolpak player, or Kolpak, was a term used in the United Kingdom for people from overseas playing in the domestic leagues in cricket and both rugby codes, who were subject to the Kolpak ruling. However, the system no longer applies in the UK, following its exit from the European Union, which came into effect in 2020.

Court ruling
The Court of Justice's Bosman ruling in 1995 declared that, in accordance with the EC Treaty rules regarding freedom of movement for workers, no citizen of the European Union should be restricted from working in another part of the EU on the grounds of their nationality. For example, a German football team could not be prevented from signing a Greek player, because both nations are members of the EU.

Maroš Kolpak was a Slovak handball player, who was legally resident and working in Germany, and had been playing for the German second division handball side TSV Östringen since 1997. The German Handball Association had a rule (Rule 15) which prohibited its member clubs from fielding more than two non-EU citizens. At that time, Slovakia was not yet a member of the European Union (it joined the EU in May 2004), and therefore the Bosman ruling did not apply to its citizens. Slovakia did however have an Association Agreement with the European Union.

Kolpak was ejected by his club in 2000 because they had filled their quota of two non-EU players. Kolpak challenged the German Handball Association, claiming that Rule 15, by treating him differently from German citizens, placed an illegal restriction on his freedom of movement as a worker. The German Handball Association held that equality of treatment applied only to citizens of European Union countries (as per the Bosman Ruling) and not to non-EU citizens. The case was referred by the German higher court to the European Court of Justice, for a determination on whether the Association Agreement between Slovakia and the European Union provided equal rights for Slovak workers who were living and working legally within the EU. The Court ruled in favour of Kolpak.

Thus the Kolpak Ruling declares that citizens of countries which have applicable Association Agreements with the EU, and who are lawfully working within an EU country, have equal rights to work as EU citizens, and cannot have restrictions such as quotas placed upon them. Such countries include those within the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group of states, such as South Africa, Jamaica and Zimbabwe.

Cricket
In practice, the decision allowed English county cricket clubs to employ the services of a multitude of overseas cricketers, especially from South Africa. Prior to the Kolpak ruling ECB rules had limited each county to one overseas (non-EU) professional.

County cricket clubs could already employ any number of EU residents under the Bosman ruling. However, there were no other Test cricket nations within the EU except (from 2017) Ireland; this explains why it was Kolpak, not Bosman, which had a significant impact on English county cricket. The largest group of countries with an association agreement with the EU is the ACP Group of States, which includes South Africa, Zimbabwe, and many of the nations that supply the West Indies cricket team.

The English and Wales Cricket Board ruled that a player must not have represented their own country for over twelve months in order to qualify for Kolpak status, but after South African Jacques Rudolph signed for Yorkshire, they admitted that this rule was unenforceable.

In an effort to combat the influx of Kolpak players, the ECB linked the central payments made to counties to the number of English qualified players who play for that county. That meant that every game a Kolpak player played instead of an English qualified player, a county received £1,100 less from the ECB. Because that was classed as a way of encouraging counties to develop young players who could go on to play for England, rather than a restrictive quota system, it was legal under the EU rules. However, the system did not result in a significant drop in the number of Kolpak players, because counties chose to continue to sign foreign players, rather than maximise their handout from the ECB. The influx reached a peak in 2008 when, during a match between Northamptonshire and Leicestershire, half the players on the field were from non-EU countries.

In 2008, the EU changed its reading of the Cotonou Agreement, the Association Agreement between the EU and the ACP countries. It then stated that the Cotonou agreement should not be interpreted as mandating free movement of labour, but rather the free trade of goods and services. The Home Office was subsequently able to introduce new rules placing restrictions on Kolpak players, stating that only those who had held a valid work permit for four years had the right to be treated the same as EU citizens.

After the UK withdrew from the European Union on 31 January 2020, the Kolpak ruling ceased to have any effect there at the end of 2020.

Rugby
In rugby league and rugby union, the Kolpak ruling has allowed teams to sign many players from Fiji, Tonga, Samoa and South Africa, all of which are also ACP countries. Many rugby union clubs have also signed South African players under Kolpak, most notably the French team RC Toulonnais and English team Saracens F.C.

In a related issue, New Zealand player Andrew Mehrtens, who was born in Durban, decided to pursue a South African passport when he signed with the English side Harlequins for the 2005–06 National Division One season, as it would enable the club to sign another non-EU and non-Kolpak player.

title: Kolpak ruling


text:
Ted Leather

Sir Edwin Hartley Cameron Leather (22 May 1919 – 5 April 2005) was a Canadian-born British Conservative politician. He served as Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the British colony of Bermuda from 1973 to 1977.

Education
Leather was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario, in 1937.

He was awarded an Honorary Degree (Doctor of Laws) from the University of Bath in 1976.

Career
During the Second World War, Captain Leather served with the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, Canadian Army in England and Europe. He was badly injured in a practice jump when his parachute failed to open. He rejoined his Battalion for D-Day. He served in Europe during World War II with the Toronto Scottish and Royal Canadian Artillery. He wrote a manual for the Home Guard called "Combat without Weapons". He worked as an insurance broker in England and was secretary of the Central London branch of the Association of Supervisory Staff, Executives and Technicians.

At the 1945 general election Leather stood without success in the Bristol South constituency, but at the 1950 general election he was elected as Member of Parliament (MP) for North Somerset. He was a backbencher throughout the period of Conservative governments from 1951–1964. He supported the Unions, and held office in the Association of Supervisory Staffs, Executives and Technicians and supported the miners. Leather never held political office but was a popular speaker at Party Conference and other events, as well as on radio and television. He was a One Nation Tory; he forcefully opposed racism and supported the European Union.

Leather was proposed for a knighthood but, still a Canadian citizen, required the support of the Canadian government which had not made any honour recommendation for some years; Prime Minister John Diefenbaker declined to support the recommendation. He was eventually knighted in 1962 when he was made a Knight Bachelor, having taken British citizenship. He quit Westminster in 1964 because of illness. Poor health and the low pay for MPs forced Leather to retire from Parliament at the 1964 general election and enter business. He returned to the political scene a few years later, as vice-chairman of the National Union of Conservative and Unionist Associations, taking a leading role in fund raising and at Party Conference. In 1973, following the murder of Sir Richard Sharples, Leather was appointed Governor of Bermuda. Despite the assassination of his predecessor and an aide, he lived informally and mixed with locals; he continued to live in Bermuda after his retirement in 1977. He came to the attention of the Commissioner of the Bermuda Police Force after riding his bicycle recklessly. He became the local representative of N M Rothschild & Sons and wrote several thrillers. As Governor, his nickname was "Imperial Leather", a pun on his surname, position and the famous brand of soap.

He was appointed in 1974 and in 1975 became the first Canadian to be appointed KCVO since the future 1st Lord Shaughnessy in 1907. Leather was an active freemason and an Anglican lay reader. During his time as Governor of Bermuda, Sir Edwin made a significant effort to include a number of influential Bermudians as part of the vice-regal household. Among them were Rev. Thomas N. Nisbett, Bermuda's first Black Church of England priest (later Canon Thomas Nisbett), and Major Clinton Eugene Raynor, promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel and appointed Commanding Officer of the Bermuda Regiment (since 2015 the Royal Bermuda Regiment), the local-service regiment of the British Army organised on territorial lines, from 1980 to 1984 (Lieutenant-Colonel Clinton Eugene Raynor, OBE, ED, JP, was later Honorary Colonel of the Royal Bermuda Regiment).

He was an accomplished gymnast and founded the International Sports Fellowship. Leather was a freemason.

Family
Edwin Leather's parents were Harold and Grace Leather. Leather married Sheila Greenlees in 1940; they had two daughters. Leather's home was Park House, Batheaston. During the First World War Harold Leather served in East Africa with the Army Service Corps, finishing the war as a lieutenant. Upon his return to Canada he established Leather Cartage in Hamilton Ontario. During the Second World War, Harold Leather was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (1943) for his work in coordinating the Red Cross parcel scheme in Canada. He would go on to become Chairman of the Canadian Red Cross Society. He died in Hamilton, Ontario.

Publications

 * Sir Edwin Leather monograph, 'Memorandum on a Choice of Countries', 1943.
 * Sir Edwin Leather 'Human Nature and the Profit Motive', ts. draft for book begun 12 April 1943. The novel features the character, Rupert Conway, of Leather's previous three novels.
 * Sir Edwin Leather 'Combat without Weapons', handbook, Aldershot: Gale & Polden, 1942

 * The Vienna Elephant (Dodd, Mead 1977, Macmillan 1978, Pinnacle p/b 1981)
 * The Mozart Score (Doubleday 1979, Macmillan 1979)
 * The Duveen Letter (Doubleday 1980, Macmillan 1980)

Books

 * Preston, Adrian & Dennis, Peter (eds.) (1976) Swords and Covenants. Totowa: Rowman and Littlefield (#4237)
 * Preston, Richard Arthur (1969) To Serve Canada: a History of the Royal Military College of Canada. Toronto: University of Toronto Press (#H16511)
 * Preston, Richard Arthur (1982) Canada's RMC: a History of Royal Military College; 2nd ed. (#H16511)
 * Preston, Richard Arthur (1968) R.M.C. and Kingston: the effect of imperial and military influences on a Canadian community. Kingston, Ontario (#H16511)
 * Smith, R. Guy C. (ed.) (1984) As You Were! Ex-Cadets Remember. 2 vols. Volume I: 1876–1918. Volume II: 1919–1984. Kingston, Ont.: RMC; The R.M.C. Club of Canada (#H1877)

title: Ted Leather


text:
Hurricane Edith (1971)

Hurricane Edith was the strongest hurricane to form during the 1971 Atlantic hurricane season and the southernmost landfalling Category 5 hurricane on record in the Atlantic at the time. Edith developed from a tropical wave on September 5 and quickly strengthened into a hurricane in the Caribbean Sea. Edith rapidly intensified on September 9 and made landfall on Cape Gracias a Dios as a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. Being a category 5 hurricane, Edith peaked at only 943 mbar (hPa), making Edith the least intense category 5 Atlantic hurricane on record. It quickly lost intensity over Central America and after briefly entering the Gulf of Honduras it crossed the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. After moving across the Gulf of Mexico a trough turned the storm to the northeast and Edith, after having restrengthened while accelerating towards the coast, made landfall on Louisiana with winds of 105 mph on September 16. Edith steadily weakened over land and dissipated over Georgia on September 18.

The hurricane killed two people when it passed near Aruba. Striking northeastern Central America as a Category 5 hurricane, Edith destroyed hundreds of homes and killed at least 35 people. In Texas high tides caused coastal flooding but little damage. Edith caused moderate to heavy damage in portions of Louisiana due to flooding and a tornado outbreak from the storm. One tornado, rated F3 on the Fujita Scale, damaged several homes and injured multiple people in Baton Rouge. The tornado outbreak extended eastward into Florida, of which a few destroyed entire buildings. Damage in the United States totaled US$25 million (1971 USD, $ 2022 USD).

Meteorological history
A tropical wave moved off the coast of Africa near Dakar on August 31. It moved westward into the Intertropical Convergence Zone, and organized into a tropical disturbance on September 2 with a small, circular area of convection. The system moved to the west, and on September 3, the convection diminished after moving west of 40° W. By the next day, the tropical disturbance was barely discernible from the clouds of the Intertropical Convergence Zone. The wave gradually became detached from the ITCZ, and based on a reconnaissance flight that confirmed the existence of a low-level circulation, it is estimated the system developed into a tropical depression on September 5 while located 255 mi east of Grenada.

The depression moved westward quickly, and moved through the southern Lesser Antilles early on September 6. The southern portion of the circulation passed over northeastern Venezuela, though after entering the Caribbean Sea, another reconnaissance flight was unable to confirm the existence of a low-level circulation. Shortly thereafter, while moving into an area of light wind shear, it was able to organize and strengthen further, and on September 7, the depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Edith near the island of Curaçao. While initially, a cold-core upper-level low persisted about 750 mi northwest of the storm, Edith moved west-northwestward due to the influence of a narrow and persistent ridge of high pressure, which extended from the southwestern Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico. As the storm continued into open waters of the Caribbean, the upper-level low gradually weakened and was replaced with an anticyclone. This allowed the storm to strengthen further, and on September 8, Edith became a hurricane in the south-central Caribbean Sea.

On September 9, the storm rapidly intensified, and within 24 hours, Edith strengthened from a minimal hurricane to a powerful 160 mph Category 5 hurricane just off the coast of Nicaragua. The cause for the explosive deepening is unknown, though it is speculated that the transformation in the upper troposphere from an upper-level low to an anticyclone led to a release of baroclinic energy. Reconnaissance aircraft crews in the peak of the storm reported extreme turbulence, causing concern for the safety of the crews. At its peak intensity, the very well-defined "pinhole" eye was only 5 mi in diameter. Late on September 9, Hurricane Edith made landfall on northeastern Nicaragua at Cabo Gracias a Dios.

Hurricane Edith rapidly weakened over the mountainous terrain of northeastern Central America, and 18 hours after it made landfall, it emerged into the Gulf of Honduras as an 80 mph Category 1 hurricane. It continued to weaken as it moved northwestward, and made landfall near Belize City with tropical storm winds of 70 mph. Edith weakened further while crossing the Yucatán Peninsula, and emerged into the Gulf of Mexico near Campeche, Mexico late on September 11 as a minimal tropical storm. Edith initially failed to re-intensify as it moved northwestward, despite low amounts of wind shear and warm waters. This was because an anticyclone over the Gulf was closely connected with Hurricane Fern, which developed and moved over the northwestern portion of the Gulf of Mexico. The anticyclone resulted in an easterly upper-level flow across Edith, creating conditions not conducive for intensification. As Fern moved inland over Texas, the flow became more favorable around Edith, and 36 hours after entering the Gulf of Mexico, the storm began to reintensify slightly.

Edith continued moving to the west-northwest, heading towards the coast of Mexico, but early on September 14, the storm stalled while located just off the coast of Tamaulipas. A mid-latitude trough of low pressure approached the storm, and caused Edith to turn to slowly drift towards the northeast. Located only miles from the Mexican coast, Edith again failed to strengthen until September 15, when it accelerated northeastward and regained hurricane status. The hurricane turned to the east-northeast as it approached the coast of Louisiana, and made landfall on September 16 in a sparsely populated area 30 mi east of Cameron with winds of 105 mph, equivalent to a Category 2 hurricane in the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. Edith rapidly weakened over land, degenerating into a tropical storm over Louisiana, and into a tropical depression over Mississippi. It continued to the east-northeast, and dissipated over northwestern Georgia on September 18.

Preparations
Fourteen hours prior to Edith making landfall in Central America, the National Hurricane Center warned citizens about the extreme danger of the approaching hurricane, and asked them to prepare for hurricane conditions. While the storm was located in the Gulf of Mexico, the National Hurricane Center issued a Hurricane Warning from Cameron to Morgan City, Louisiana eighteen hours before the hurricane made landfall. Edith later struck land in the middle portion of the warning area.

In Belize, officials ordered the mandatory evacuation of low-lying areas, resulting in hundreds of residents leaving to the United States through the international airport. Officials sent police troops to maintain order and prevent looting.

In the Gulf of Mexico, several oil facilities were closed or placed on automatic controls. Drilling rigs as far east as the coastal waters off of Mississippi were prepared to evacuate in the event Edith moved further east than anticipated. Additionally, thousands evacuated coastal areas of Louisiana prior to the arrival of the hurricane. Several shelters opened in coastal cities, and many people prepared for the hurricane by purchasing emergency supplies. Officials closed schools throughout much of southern Louisiana.

Caribbean
While passing through the southern Lesser Antilles, the tropical depression produced heavy rainfall and winds of around 35 mph. Edith produced tropical storm force winds in Aruba, and gusts reached 60 mph. Two fishermen were reported lost at sea and presumed dead as a result of Edith.

Edith produced strong winds across northeastern Nicaragua and eastern Honduras, with Puerto Lempira reporting an unofficial sustained wind of 140 mph. Press reports indicated every house in the Cape Gracias area was destroyed or heavily damaged, leaving 7,000 homeless. The meteorological service in British Honduras stated there were 100 fatalities near Cape Gracias, though a later report indicated 35 people died in Nicaragua. There, damage was estimated at over US$380,000 (1971 dollars$, in  dollars). Three United States Air Force aircraft delivered food, medical supplies, and fuel to the hurricane victims of Nicaragua. In Honduras, the hurricane produced 15 ft tides and strong winds, while strong waves destroyed 40 fishing boats as well. While the hurricane reportedly destroyed entire villages, no deaths occurred in Honduras.

Offshore islands in Belize reported winds of up to 60 mph. Edith produced flooding in a few towns in the southern portion of the country, with some buildings damaged. Heavy damage was reported near Monkey River Town. Impact in Mexico, if any, is unknown.

United States
Two stations in Texas recorded sustained tropical force winds, and Galveston reported a peak wind gust of 53 mph. While moving past the state, Edith produced above normal tides of over 4 ft in locations, which flooded a portion of Highway 87. The storm dropped light to moderate amounts of rainfall peaking at 3.5 in in Sabine Pass. The passage of Hurricane Edith resulted in downed trees and power lines, and damage totaling US$180,000 (1971 dollars, $900,000 in 2006 dollars).

Off the coast of Louisiana, the hurricane wrecked three boats, but all the occupants were safely rescued. While making landfall in Louisiana, Edith resulted in above normal tides of up to 9.7 ft above normal at Cypremont Point near Morgan City. The highest winds reported by a land station were 69 mph at Cameron, where a wind gust of 96 mph was also reported. However, due to the lack of recording instruments near the hurricane's landing point, whether higher winds occurred there is not known, although likely. Rainfall was moderate across Louisiana, including amounts of over 8 in in the southwestern portion of the state. A strong rainband well ahead of the hurricane, combined with the intrusion of dry air into the hurricane's circulation, produced 16 tornadoes from Louisiana to Alabama. An F3 tornado touched down in the eastern residential suburbs of Baton Rouge, causing heavy property damage totaling $2.5 million (1971 dollars$, in  dollars) along its intermittent 7 mi path. The tornado also injured three people. An F2 tornado in Tangipahoa Parish caused $250,000 in damage (1971 dollars$, in  dollars) along its 4 mi path, while an F1 tornado in St. Martin Parish injured 6 people on its 3 mi path. The hurricane caused extensive damage to the sugar cane crop in southwestern Louisiana. About a month after Edith struck the United States, President Richard Nixon declared portions of Louisiana as a disaster area, which allocated relief funds to aid the affected citizens.

In Mississippi, wind gusts peaked at 70 mph in Hattiesburg, with multiple locations reporting tropical-storm-force winds. Additionally, Edith produced moderate rainfall peaking at 6.15 in in Liberty. In Alabama, the storm caused light rains, moderate wind gusts, and a storm tide of 2.7 ft in Mobile. Edith spawned four tornadoes in Alabama, three of which were F2 tornadoes. Two touched down in Baldwin County; one destroyed two homes and damaged several others, and the other destroyed two mobile homes, a few barns, and damaged ten houses. Two tornadoes also touched down in Washington County, one of which destroyed several small buildings and downed a few trees. In Florida, Edith produced slightly above-normal tides and light rain. It spawned a tornado in Pensacola, Florida, injuring one person and inflicting $25,000 in damage (1971 dollars, $125,000 in 2006 dollars). Damage throughout the United States totaled $25 million (1971 dollars$, in  dollars), primarily from crop damage in southwest Louisiana. No deaths were reported in the United States.

title: Hurricane Edith (1971)


text:
Sosigenes (astronomer)

Sosigenes (Σωσιγένης) (fl. 1st century BC) was an Ancient Greek astronomer. According to Pliny the Elder's Natural History 18.210–212, Julius Caesar consulted him while he was designing the Julian calendar.

Biography
Little is known about him apart from Pliny's Natural History. Sosigenes appears in Book 18, 210-212:

"... There were three main schools, the Chaldaean, the Egyptian, and the Greek; and to these a fourth was added in our country by Caesar during his dictatorship, who with the assistance of the learned astronomer Sosigenes brought the separate years back into conformity with the course of the sun."

Sosigenes is credited with work on the orbit of Mercury, which is described by Pliny in book 2, Natural History:

"The star next to Venus is Mercury, by some called Apollo; it has a similar orbit, but is by no means similar in magnitude or power. It travels in a lower circle, with a revolution nine days quicker, shining sometimes before sunrise and sometimes after sunset, but according to Cidenas and Sosigenes never more than 22 degrees away from the sun."

The introduction of the Julian year occurred in 46 BC. This particular year lasted 445 days in Rome to correct the erroneous old Roman calendar, and is thus considered "the longest year in history".

Cultural depiction
Since the 18th century, the classicists have added to the name of Sosigenes, to distinguish it from others, the origin: "of Alexandria". However, no ancient source calls him that, or indicates that he was an Alexandrian. The misattribution may be from the fusion of two pieces of news about the reform of the Roman calendar at the initiative of Julius Caesar, namely: the indication by Appian, Cassius Dio and Macrobius that the reform was based on "Egyptian teachings" together with the news from Pliny that Sosigenes was one of the experts consulted by Caesar for the adaptation of the calendar.

The oldest mention of Sosigenes of Alexandria appears in the work of Le Fèvre de Morsan Des Moeurs et des Usages des Romains, published in 1739.

Sosigenes was portrayed by Hume Cronyn in the 1963 movie Cleopatra. This portrayal is heavily fictionalized: he serves as Cleopatra's tutor/adviser and later her envoy to Rome. He is ultimately murdered in the Forum by Octavian, commencing his war against Egypt. None of those events is present in the historical record, and they were invented for the film.

title: Sosigenes (astronomer)


text:
Stoker (surname)

Stoker is a surname.

Those bearing it include:

 * Amanda Stoker (born 1982), Australian politician
 * Austin Stoker (1930–2022), Trinidadian-American actor
 * Bob Stoker, Northern Ireland politician, Lord Mayor of Belfast (1999–2000)
 * Bram Stoker (1847–1912), Irish writer
 * Charlotte Stoker (1818-1901), activist and mother of Bram Stoker
 * Don Stoker (1922–1985), English football player and manager
 * Donald Stoker (historian), American military historian
 * Frank Stoker (1867–1939), Irish tennis and rugby union player
 * Gareth Stoker (born 1973), English footballer
 * Gerry Stoker (born 1955), British political scientist
 * Gordon Stoker, pianist and singer with The Jordanaires
 * Hendrik G. Stoker (1899–1993), South African Calvinist philosopher
 * Henry Hugh Gordon Stoker (1885–1966), Irish Royal Navy officer and actor also known as Dacre Stoker
 * James J. Stoker (1905–1992), American mathematician
 * Joanne Stoker (born 1983/84), British footwear designer
 * Joscelyn Eve Stoker (born 1987, stage name Joss Stone, English singer, songwriter and actress
 * Lewis Stoker (1910–1979), English footballer
 * Mary Stoker Smith (born 1969), reporter and anchor for KYW-TV in Philadelphia
 * Michael Stoker (1918–2013), British physician and researcher
 * Richard Stoker (1938–2021), British composer and writer
 * Robert Burdon Stoker (1859–1919), British shipping magnate and politician
 * Thornley Stoker, 1st Baronet (1845–1912), Irish surgeon, brother of Bram Stoker
 * Will Stoker, singer and musician with Will Stoker and the Embers

title: Stoker (surname)


text:
Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Seattle Catholic

 This page is an archive of the proposed deletion of the article below. Further comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or on a Votes for Undeletion nomination). No further edits should be made to this page.

The result of the debate was delete. Joyous (talk) 18:10, July 25, 2005 (UTC)

Seattle Catholic
Single line stub with no notability. Essjay ·  Talk 13:47, July 17, 2005 (UTC)

 * Delete. -- Essjay ·  Talk 13:47, July 17, 2005 (UTC)
 * Delete unless notability is established. --malathion talk 14:21, 17 July 2005 (UTC)
 * Delete as per malathion. Gamaliel 15:19, 17 July 2005 (UTC)
 * Delete notability not established. JamesBurns 08:43, 18 July 2005 (UTC)

 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in an undeletion request). No further edits should be made to this page.


text:
Upemba National Park

Upemba National Park (French: Parc national d'Upemba) is a large national park in Haut-Lomami, Lualaba Province & Haut-Katanga Province (formerly in Katanga Province) of the southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, formerly Zaire.

Geography
At the time of the creation of Upemba National Park, on 15 May 1939, the park had a surface area of 17,730 km2. It was the largest park in Africa. In July 1975, the limits were revised and today the integral park has an area of 10000 km2 with an annex of a further 3000 km2.

Its lower section is located in the Upemba Depression, a lush area of lakes and marshes including the eponymous Lake Upemba, and bordered by the Lualaba River. Its higher section is in the dryer Kibara Plateau mountains.

History
Upemba National Park was first established in 1939. As with much of the wildlife of the region, in contemporary times the park continues to be threatened by the activities of poachers, pollution, and the activities of refugees and militia.

There are also a handful of villages in the park. In recent years, the park has come under considerable attack from poachers and local militias. On 28 May 2004, for instance, the park headquarters in Lusinga came under attack by the Mai Mai militia. Several wardens and their families were killed, the headquarters were burned down, and the family of the chief warden was taken hostage.

On 1 June 2005, the protectors of the park received the Abraham Conservation Award for their role in protecting the rich biodiversity of the Congo River basin.

In January 2023, the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo launched an operation against Mai Mai Kata Katanga rebels who were hiding in the Kundelungu and Upemba National Parks.

Habitat
The habitat of the park varies from Afromontane grasslands and forests at higher altitudes in the Kibara Mountains; through Miombo woodlands and tropical rainforests; to marshes, wetlands, lakes, and streams with riparian zones at the lower altitudes. It is home to some 1,800 different species, some of them discovered as late as 2003.

Lake Upemba has a maximum depth reported to be only 3.2 m and it is a site of intense algae growth. The watercourses of the region fluctuate according to the season and the water level in the lakes is high from March to June, and low from October to January. Many of the bodies of the water in the area are characterized by extensive swamps, with papyrus, Nile lettuce and water caltrop among other species.

Fauna
The system of lakes, rivers, swamps and wetlands supports a variety of fish fauna. This includes over 30 species of Cyprinidae, Mormyridae (also known as freshwater elephant fish), Barbus, Alestidae, Mochokidae and Cichlidae.

Bird species include several threatened or endangered species, such as the shoebill, wattled crane and spotted ground-thrush.

Schmidt's snouted frog is only known from the park.

title: Upemba National Park


text:
Formatting Output Specification Instance

In computing, FOSI (Formatting Output Specification Instance) is a stylesheet language for SGML and, later, XML. FOSI was developed by the US Department of Defense to control the pagination and layout of SGML and XML technical data. FOSI stylesheets are themselves written in SGML, an approach that would later be adopted by XSL. FOSI was implemented by, among others, Datalogics, Arbortext   and X.Systems. FOSI is documented in the book Practical FOSI for Arbortext Editor (©2015) by Suzanne Napoleon.


text: File:Starlette.jpg

title: File:Starlette.jpg


text:
Sex hormone receptor

The sex hormone receptors, or sex steroid receptors, are a group of steroid hormone receptors that interact with the sex hormones, the androgens, estrogens, and progestogens, as well as with sex-hormonal agents such as anabolic steroids, progestins, and antiestrogens. They include the:

 * Androgen receptor (AR) (A, B) - binds and is activated by androgens such as testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT)
 * Estrogen receptor (ER) (α, β) - binds and is activated by estrogens such as estradiol, estrone, and estriol
 * Progesterone receptor (PR) (A, B) - binds and is activated by progestogens such as progesterone

In addition, sex steroids have been found to bind and activate membrane steroid receptors, such as estradiol and GPER.

title: Sex hormone receptor


text:
Istana Budaya

The Istana Budaya or also known as the Palace of Culture, is Malaysia's main venue for all types of theatre including musical theatre, operetta, classical concerts and opera from local and international performances. It is located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur city, next to the National Art Gallery.

History
The idea of this theatre began with the proposal in 1964 to establish a cultural centre. The construction work began in 1995 and was completed three years later. It was built at a cost of RM210 million with a theatre floor area of 21,000 m² as part of the 54,400 m² cultural complex. The Istana Budaya was officially opened in 1999 by the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Mahathir Mohamad. Upon completion, the former national theatre, Panggung Negara was relocated to this new building. Istana Budaya is the home of the Residence Artists (Dance); the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) and the Orchestra Traditional Malaysia (OTM). The Istana Budaya theatre hall Panggung Sari, with its unique design of royal boxes inspired by the windows of the traditional Rumah Melayu or Malay house, can accommodate an audience of up to 1,408 people.

Istana Budaya aims to raise the standards of performing arts, develop artistic excellence in theatre, popularise high-quality theatre productions and develop a higher sense of artistic appreciation.

From September 24 to October 4, 2010, Istana Budaya held Mahathir, the Musical.

Architecture
The building was designed by the local architect firm, ADC ARCHITECT SDN. The inspiration for the design is based on a traditional moon kite in flight. The turquoise folds on the roof and the intricate design of the foyer are just two of the interesting features of the building. Istana Budaya's architecture has intrigued experts and academics.

The main building takes the shape of the sirih junjung, a traditional arrangement or a present made of betel leaves used during Malay wedding and welcoming ceremonies. As in a traditional Malay house, the building is divided into three areas:
 * The serambi (lobby and foyer)
 * The rumah ibu (main house) as the auditorium
 * The rumah dapur (kitchen) as the stage and rehearsal hall.

The interior was constructed using local resources such as Langkawi's marble and high-quality tropical wood for the doors crafted by hand to shape flowers and leaf motifs. The verdant carpets in the entrance hall and lobby feature cempaka flower and the banyan tree, inspired by traditional Malay opera or Mak Yong.

In the auditorium, there are royal boxes on each side, patterned after the windows of a Malay house. The entrance to the theatre, too, replicates a palace's main hall, or the Balairong Seri and is said to be modelled after one in Malacca.

The theatre lobby on the third floor extends the influence of Malay culture, taking the shape of the rebana ubi or traditional drum. The auditorium itself seats about 1,408 people, including 788 in the stalls on the first floor, 328 in the grand circle on the second floor and 292 people in the upper circle. The orchestra pit, when it is not in use, can take in 98 people.

Istana Budaya has wheelchair facilities, including a ramp into the foyer, a lift with easy-to-reach buttons and an area designated for the handicapped. Restrooms for the disabled are also found at both the stalls and grand circle areas. Additionally, there is also a costume gallery featuring clothes from Malay traditional theatre. The costumes are from Bangsawan, Mak Yong, Ajat Bebunuh, Layang Emas and Bambarayon performances, among others.

Performances
Istana Budaya has staged many notable opera performances including The Merry Widow, Tosca, La Bohème, Turandot and Carmen accompanied by the National Symphony Orchestra and chorus. It has also become the main venue for the successful local musical production, Puteri Gunung Ledang.

Music directors / conductors

 * Mustafa Fuzer Nawi (1999 – ) Music Director / Chief conductor

title: Istana Budaya