We're Hiring! Landowner Advisor in Frederick County, MD
Potomac Conservancy is seeking a contractor to fill the role of a Landowner Advisor for Non-operator Landowners (Advisor). The Advisor will be charged with implementing an outreach and engagement campaign centered on the Monocacy, Catoctin and Antietam watersheds in portions of Frederick, Washington and Carroll counties of Maryland. The advisor will work to identify the individual needs and interests of each landowner and help them to overcome barriers to implementing conservation practices or accessing technical and financial assistance. Click here for more details.
Join us on Sunday, Feb. 5 at the River Center
Our cleanup days are part of the Canal Stewards program, engaging volunteers in a long-term relationship in which they become the caretakers of a designated site within the C&O Canal National Historical Park. Cleanup activities include picking up trash, pruning vegetation along trails, and repairing the towpath and trails. Wear clothes that can get dirty -- we’ll provide all the necessary tools and equipment. Open to all ages.
Upcoming events include:
- Canal Stewards at the River Center at Lock 8 and Locks 12-14
Sunday, February 5, 10 am-12 pm
Help the Conservancy clean up and beautify the land and water surrounding Lock 8, along miles 8 and 9, and the areas around Locks 12-14 of the C&O Canal towpath. Click here for personalized directions.
- Canal Stewards at Fletcher's Cove
Sunday, February 26, 10 am-12 pm
Come out to tidy up Fletcher’s Cove in the C&O Canal National Historical Park. Meet in the upper level parking lot.
4940 Canal Road, Washington, D.C.
For more information, click here. For questions regarding the River Center at Lock 8 and/or events, please contact Anne Sundermann, Director of Communications and Outreach at sundermann@potomac.org or call 301.608.1188, x208.
Potomac Health Weakens as Population, Development Increase
Potomac Conservancy released its fifth annual State of the Nation’s River report, scoring the rivers’ health at a barely passing “D” grade, a downgrade from our previous D+. The report points to reasons for the low grade: growing population and land use practices as the primary culprits for a polluted and degraded Potomac River.
This new Conservancy report compares the western, undeveloped, reaches of the Potomac River region to the more urbanized sections, east and south. Evidence points to population increases and poor development practices as primary sources of stress on the Potomac River, at a regional and local scale.
Conservancy Receives National Conservation Honor
Potomac Conservancy is one of four honorees to receive
national recognition for outstanding
achievement in greenways and open space preservation at the 22nd annual Kodak American Greenways Awards, presented at the National Geographic headquarters in Washington, D.C.
“On behalf of the Kodak American Greenways Program, I am particularly pleased to present the Potomac Conservancy with an award for its outstanding record of leadership and accomplishment in conserving and advancing stewardship of the Potomac River corridor and its tributaries for the benefit of present and future generations,” said The Conservation Fund’s President and CEO, Larry Selzer. “In the face of relentless regional development and population growth, the Potomac Conservancy has been an effective voice for protecting this irreplaceable resource.”
Established in 1989 by Eastman Kodak Company, National Geographic Society and The Conservation Fund, the Kodak American Greenways Program honors leading individuals, organizations and corporations whose ingenuity and creativity have made a significant contribution to creating a national network of open space, trails and greenways.
Conservancy forum talks about new pollutants
Click here for more information, including speaker presentations (pdfs).
On Friday June 3, Potomac Conservancy hosted science, policy, and technology experts for an important discussion about how to protect the health of our rivers and streams in light of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) and other emerging contaminants that are present in our waterways.
Here are links to media coverage of the event:
Reports available from Potomac Conservancy
See our "Voice of the River" Annual Report to learn about the many successes Potomac Conservancy achieved in 2010. Click here for a PDF version (1,487 KB).
The State of the Nation's River report provides an overview and assessment of the condition of the nation's river and offers solutions on how to meet the needs of our populace while maintaining vigorous and healthy lands and waters.
Other Releases:
- Passage Creek Aquatic Community Assessment: The Conservancy, and researchers from Virginia Tech's Department of Fisheries and Wildlife launched a comprehensive study of this North Fork Shendanoah River tributary in 2007. Our report is available here.
