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Don Chernoff

Saturday, July 7, 4 ‘til 8 pm
Carderock Pavilion, C&O Canal National Historical Park,
Carderock, Md.

Bring family and friends to the Conservancy’s 8th annual Picnic on the Potomac. Rain or shine! Please join us!

Food: We’ll provide the grillers and drinks. You'll bring a potluck dish. Here are our suggestions, by last name: A-E, Appetizer; F-J, Salad; K-P, Dessert; Q-Z, Main dish.

Fun: Music by the Potomac River Ramblers, dancing, childrens' games, door prizes, and more!

Membership: As a part of our "100 Friends Online Campaign," the Conservancy is offering a special prize drawing for members who renew or give during the picnic or bring a new member to the picnic. See details below.

Volunteer: There are plenty of opportunities to pitch in on the day of the picnic. See details below.

Schmoozing: Meet the Conservancy's board and staff and hang out with fellow river lovers. Bring your friends!

Directions: www.potomac.org/directions/carderock.html.

For more information: Contact Monica Lyman at info@potomac.org; 301.608.1188, x201.

Photos: Ed Tenney

Volunteer

• Volunteer at Our Picnic!
• Volunteer to Crew on a C&O Canal Boat

Speak Up!

• Montgomery County Citizens: Three Calls for Action
• New Hearing Date - Frederick County (Md.) Citizens: Support the Lake Linganore Stream Buffer Ordinance

Events & Trips

• River Center at Lockhouse 8 Open House - 'til October 14
• National River Cleanup Week - June 2-10
• Evening Canoe and Kayak Classes - June 5
• West Virginia Forest Landowners Workshop - June 5
• Potomac River Ramble - June 6-10
• Children’s Bug Walk - June 9
• Potomac River Family Festival - June 9
• Riverbend River Festival - June 9
• Voices of the River: Judy Cook & Songs of Women & the Sea - June 24
• Clean & Green: Frederick County (Md.) Landowners Workshop - June 30
• Potomac Conservancy Picnic - July 7
• Conservation Easement Professional Workshop - July 12

News & Notes

• Conservancy Awarded Chesapeake Bay Trust Grant
• Chesapeake Bay: Everybody's Back Yard: Potomac Conservancy Kicks Off New Exhibit at Annual Reopening of Lockhouse 8
• Saving Water: Collecting Rain Serves as a Useful Way to Care for Lawns, and It Reduces
  Storm Runoff
• Plans for Fence Wins One Battle, But Not the War
• Shenandoah Fish Kills Continue
• Rescuers Trumpet Safety Effort at River Gorge

Good Neighbor Conservation Tip

• Integrated Pest Management Makes Gardening Safe and Easy

Support the Conservancy Today

• Offer Ends June 17: Potomac Conservancy Polo Shirts and Ball Caps for Sale
• Join Potomac Conservancy's "100 Friends Online" Campaign

Volunteer at Our Picnic!
Saturday, July 7, 4 ‘til 8 pm
Carderock Pavilion, C&O Canal National Historical Park, Carderock, Md.

Flip burgers, play games, and hang out with other river lovers. Potomac Conservancy is seeking volunteers to help with the annual Picnic on the Potomac. Opportunities include helping at the registration table, grilling, and assisting with children's games.

For more information: Contact Monica Lyman at info@potomac.org; 301.608.1188, x201.

Volunteer to Crew on a C&O Canal Boat
C&O Canal National Historical Park is looking for volunteers to help run its canal boats, the Charles F. Mercer or the Georgetown. They will train you, provide you with living history clothing, steel-toed boots and any other safety and similar clothing and equipment you may need. Boat crew members will need to be able to push lock gate arms or pull ropes to maneuver the boat into and out of locks or through the canal. Some crew positions are available that involve handling mules, for volunteers interested in learning those skills. Boats are operated 2-3 times a day, Wednesday through Sunday. Schedules are flexible.

This is a great volunteer opportunity that truly gives you a taste of what life on the canal was like. For additional information or to sign up contact David Tune at david_tune@nps.gov or Aly Baltrus at alyssa_baltrus@nps.gov.

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Montgomery County Citizens: Three Calls for Action

• 12000 River Road public hearing: Say NO to tree cuttings and fences on the C&O Canal
The property owner at 12000 River Road has requested he be allowed to cut down 55 native hardwood trees and build a large, wrought-iron fence along the property boundary with the C&O Canal. Both the tree cutting and the fence would be located immediately adjacent to the C&O Canal, within the forest conservation area, and within the National Park Service scenic easement.

The tree cutting and fence are both prohibited by the Forest Conservation Law, but the property owner has requested an exemption from the law. His justification is that his children have nut allergies, and need to be prevented from exposure to nuts.

What you can do: There is a Planning Board hearing scheduled for Thursday, June 28. We encourage you to write a letter to the Planning Board or present oral testimony at the hearing. Describe how the proposed tree cutting and fence would negatively affect you as a user of the C&O Canal, the C&O Canal NHP itself, and the community at large.

Letters to the Planning Board can be mailed to: Chairman Royce Hanson, Montgomery County Planning Board, 8787 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20910 or emailed to: MCP-Chairman@mncppc-mc.org

For more information: contact Anne Merwin at the Potomac Conservancy at merwin@potomac.org; 301.608.1188, x214.

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• Road Code Bill: Make Montgomery County a national “Green & Complete Streets” leader
Montgomery County is in the process of updating its decades-old Road Code, the standards that define how all county roadways are built. This is a tremendous opportunity to change the way we think of and design roads—from high-speed funnels for cars, to fully realized transit corridors that minimize environmental impacts and serve all roadway users. Potomac Conservancy and Montgomery Stormwater Partners have specifically requested that the bill create Green Streets by mandating a minimum amount of onsite stormwater treatment. Roadways are a major source of toxic stormwater runoff.

The keys to a successful Road Code revision are:
1. Strong policy guidance from the Council in the form of a "Green & Complete Streets" purpose statement.
2. Standards designed by a joint Council-Executive technical advisory committee with expert technical advisors.
3. Inclusion of stormwater performance standards that require roadways to retain and treat a minimum amount of stormwater on site, preferably using vegetation-based infiltration techniques.

What you can do: Write your Councilmember and request their support for a cutting-edge, Green & Complete Streets Road Code bill. Emphasize the importance of having a technical advisory committee, not just the Executive, develop standards. Ask that they commit to Green Streets design by mandating a minimum amount of on-site treatment of stormwater.

For more information: To find your councilmember's contact information, go to www.montgomerycountymd.gov/csltmpl.asp?url=/content/council/index.asp.

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What you can do: Contact your councilmember and ask them to support ZTA-07-04, the C&O Canal buffer bill. Then attend the public hearing on June 12 at 1:30 pm (note corrected date and time) to show your support.

River Center at Lockhouse 8 Open House
Weekends until Sunday, October 14, 10 am ‘til 2 pm
River Center at Lockhouse 8, C&O Canal National Historical Park, Cabin John, Md.

The River Center will be open weekends, from 10 am until 2 pm, May through October. Summer programs include Voices of the River and nature walks (see below for June events). Visit www.potomac.org for more details, or contact Potomac Conservancy at info@potomac.org; 301.608.1188.

National River Cleanup Week
June 2-10
Sites throughout the region

If you're looking for a hands-on way to help protect the rivers you love, then join in National River Cleanup Week. You can organize a new river cleanup or register your already-occurring cleanup online. That way your cleanup will get free publicity and access to a wider audience of potential volunteers. As an added bonus, your volunteers become eligible to enter various contests to win prizes, such as free kayaks and canoes. To register and read more visit: www.NationalRiverCleanup.org. Remember, when we all pitch in, America's rivers win!

Evening Canoe and Kayak Classes
Classes begin Tuesday, June 5, 6:30 'til 8 pm
Fletcher's Cove, 4940 Canal Road, NW, Washington, DC (out Canal Road from M Street)

This is a National Park Service activity, with instruction provided by Canoe Cruisers Association. The class covers basic canoeing & kayaking – on a particularly beautiful stretch of the canal. A communal picnic follows (bring stuff to share). Kids are most welcome – and free. Cost for canoe, paddle, life jacket, and lessons is $4/adult. For additional information, call 202-244-0461.

West Virginia Forest Landowners Workshop
June 5, 6:30 pm 'til 8:30 pm, Pendleton County Community Bldg., 200 Confederate Rd., Franklin, W.V.

If you are the owner of forested land in West Virginia, this free workshop will help you protect your natural resources, and your investment. Join us to find out more about:

• Techniques to better manage your forested land
• Practices that will improve the economic viability of your land
• Resources and programs that will increase the quality of your wildlife habitat and protect water quality

Click here for the workshop brochure. Email Kelly Watkinson at watkinson@potomac.org or call her at 540.667.3606, for more details.

• Joining up with the Shenandoah Sojourn in Harper's Ferry
• Riparian tree ID and ecology
• Fish seining
• Riverside camping and cookouts
• Attending the Potomac River Family Fest in Brunswick, Md.
• Meetings with local public officials
• Historical interpretive presentations
• Wine tasting at Tarara Winery
• Musicians, and more!

Details are available at www.potomacriver.org/ramble.htm.

Children’s Bug Walk
Saturday, June 9, 1 'til 2 pm
River Center at Lockhouse 8, C&O Canal National Historical Park, Cabin John, Md.

Back by popular demand! Led by naturalist and Potomac Conservancy volunteer Deborah Landau, this walk along the C&O Canal and Potomac River will give your children a glimpse into the lives of the smallest critters that share our environment: insects. To RSVP, contact Heather Montgomery at montgomery@potomac.org.

Potomac River Family Festival
Saturday, June 9, 11 am 'til 3 pm
Brunswick Family Campground, Brunswick, Md.

The event will be held at the Brunswick Family Campground, located along the Potomac River and the C&O Canal in the City of Brunswick, Frederick County, Md. This event is being held to promote river safety, recreational usage, and environmental and educational components of the Potomac River with an added family flare. Highlights of this event will include a river race, crafters, fly-fishing and tying, and river safety demonstrations, just to mention a few. This event will be held rain or shine. Contact Dward Moore at 301.834.6007.

Riverbend River Festival
Saturday, June 9, 10 am 'til 4 pm
Riverbend Park, Great Falls, Va.

Come celebrate the Potomac with a day of fun, music, games. Join in paddling and boating trips, fly fishing demonstrations, and stream explorations. Silent auction with gear. Fun for the entire family, including children’s games, puppet shows, and fishing derbies. Cost: $5 per person (3 yr and under, free). Contact Riverbend Visitor Center, 703-759-9018. More information is available at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/riverbend/.

Clean & Green: Frederick County Landowners Workshop
Sunday, June 30, 9 am 'til 1 pm; Greener Lifestyle session (optional), 1 pm 'til 2 pm
Kemptown Park, 3456-B Kemptown Church Rd., Monrovia, Md.

Landowners in Frederick County, Maryland, who attend this engaging half-day workshop will learn about forest and pasture management, wetlands, conservation easements, cost share incentives, and more. Attendees will hear about how stewardship practices such as landscaping techniques and streamside vegetation can help improve the quality of our water. Landowners on septic systems will receive an opportunity to upgrade their systems for free! After lunch, attend a Greener Lifestyle session to learn about safe household products.

For more information, contact Bryan Seipp, seipp@potomac.org; 301.608.1188, x207.

Conservation Easement Professional Workshop
Thursday, July 12, Berkeley Springs, W.V., 9 'til 1:30 pm

Attorneys, accountants, and appraisers interested in learning about the legal aspects of conservation easements and conservation easement appraisals should attend. Attorneys and appraisers will receive 3 continuing education credits. Registration required. Fee is $25.

For more information, contact Kelly Watkinson: watkinson@potomac.org, 540.667.3606.

Conservancy Awarded Chesapeake Bay Trust Grant

Potomac Conservancy was awarded a $155,000 grant under the Chesapeake Bay Trust's Targeted Watershed Initiative. This support will enhance the Conservancy's work in the Bennett Creek watershed, a tributary of the Monocacy River in Frederick County, Md. The Monocacy River is a major contributor of nonpoint source pollution (including nutrients, sediment, fecal coliform bacteria, and biological impairments) to the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay.

The Conservancy's Director of Restoration Bryan Seipp states: "This project looks at innovative solutions to water quality problems associated with farms, forests, gravel roads, impervious surfaces, homes, and golf courses. The Conservancy is looking forward to addressing two fish blockages that are having a detrimental effect on the eastern brook trout, a species of special concern that is rapidly disappearing from the eastern United States.”

Thanks to CBT for their continued support of our work in this critically important watershed.

Chesapeake Bay: Everybody's Back Yard: Potomac Conservancy Kicks Off New Exhibit at Annual Reopening of Lockhouse 8
Potomac Almanac

Gudrun Kreisel moved to Potomac just over a month ago, and she already makes regular treks to the C&O Canal. It makes her happy to sit by the canal, surrounded by nature, or to hike with a friend up to Great Falls. “I’m addicted to it, almost,” Kreisel said. Kreisel was one of more than 30 people that were on hand as the River Center at Lockhouse 8 opened its doors to the public for the season on Saturday, May 5. It will be open on weekends until Oct. 15. Click here for more.

WINCHESTER - Harvesting rainwater seems to be a thing of the past, but some people are finding it to be a useful and cost-effective way to care for their lawns and gardens. Click here for more.

Property owner Aris Mardirossian has one less barrier to overcome in his controversial quest to build a fence around his Potomac riverfront property. The Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services lifted a stop work order on May 9. Click here for more.

Once again, the Potomac watershed's spring fishing season has been interrupted by fish kills. The latest kill, on the South Branch, has affected several species, particulary northern hogsucker and golden redhorse hogsuckers and, to a lesser extent, sunfish and fallfish. Earlier in the season, sunfish and smallmouth bass turned up along the shores of the Shenandoah.

Media stories include:

• Fish Kills Still Perplex Researchers - WOWK TV, Huntington, WV
• Wildlife Authorities Investigating Reports of Dead and Dying Fish in South Branch - Cumberland Times-News
• Time to Get Angry and Fix Shenandoah - Staunton (Va.) News Leader

Fish kills hit the James River watershed as well, and researchers are looking for links between the James and Potomac die offs:

• Uncertain Waters: Fish Kills No Threat to Human Health, DEQ Says - Richmond.com
• Biologist Collect More Fish From the James River - OurValley.com

Rescuers Trumpet Safety Effort at River Gorge
The Examiner

WASHINGTON - For years, accidental drownings in the Potomac River Gorge were something to be expected, with the swiftly moving waterway claiming from two to six lives each year. That trend came to a halt in 2005, and since then no one has drowned by accident along the gorge. Now rescuers are digging in for another busy recreation season and hope the reprieve continues. Click here for more.

Integrated Pest Management Makes Gardening Safe and Easy

Instead of potentially harmful pesticides and insecticides, consider using "integrated pest management" when gardening. Use of beneficial insects will help eliminate the use of chemicals, which is particularly important when growing edible fruits, flowers and vegetables. For more advice go to paipm.cas.psu.edu or www.epa.gov/pesticides/ipm/.

This tip came from the 2007 Conservation Calendar. The calendar, which is chock full of hints for year-round conservation, is distributed by the Virginia Soil & Water Conservation and Virginia Cooperative Extension's Master Gardeners, and the Shenandoah RC&D Council.

For more information about minimizing your impact on the environment, download our Good Neighbor Handbook.

Offer Ends June 17! Potomac Conservancy Polo Shirts and Ball Caps for Sale

Wear your PC colors this summer! Liven up your summer wardrobe with an exclusive line of Potomac Conservancy gear. We have polo shirts and ball caps, both with the Conservancy logo, for sale. Polo shirts are available in sky blue or stone (a light beige); ball caps are khaki.

Orders will be taken until June 17. Shirts are available in men's and women’s sizes: XS - XXL. Ball caps are adjustable. All shirts are $20, except XXL, which are $23. Ball caps are $8.00. Shipping and handling: $7.95 per order. All orders will be mailed by July 1. Order form is available at www.potomac.org. For information or to order by phone, contact Monica Lyman, Office Coordinator, at info@potomac.org; 301.608.1188, x201.

Join Potomac Conservancy's "100 Friends Online" Campaign

Help protect the Potomac River and its tributaries and win a special prize by helping the Potomac Conservancy reach its 100 Friends Online Campaign goal of $5,000 online by July 7.

Join the Potomac Conservancy as part of our 100 Friends Online Campaign today. All winners will be drawn at our Picnic on the Potomac on July 7, the final day of the campaign. All new members will also receive a Potomac Conservancy logo decal and an annual subscription to RiverScape, our quarterly newsletter.

If you're already a member, renew your membership, or make a special gift. Current members' donations will also count toward our 100 Friends Online Campaign, making members who renew eligible to win prizes on July 7, too.