The Show Must Go On Reflecting on the Safe Water Conservation Collaborative Tumultuous may be a dramatic word to describe the past year, but it was certainly a year marked by changes for a relatively young organization. As one chapter in the Collaborative's story ends, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on the growth of our fledgling organization and appreciate the many partners who made it possible. How it Started In 2016, the Land Trust Alliance invited WV Rivers to apply for a new grant program, the Land and Water Initiative (LWI), funded by the Chesapeake Bay Funders Network. They were seeking model concepts for how land conservation could restore and protect waterways, and ultimately, the Bay. That first LWI grant was awarded in spring 2017. In West Virginia, Jefferson and Berkeley counties were already leading the way in land conservation, with the most acres preserved. Together, both counties’ farmland protection boards, the Jefferson County Historic Landmarks Commission, and the Land Trust of the Eastern Panhandle had preserved thousands of acres. At the same time, there was this other universe of watershed groups and agencies doing amazing work on stream restoration, along with small water utilities doing their best to provide safe drinking water. The question was: How to harness that collective power to focus land protection and restoration in areas that benefit streams which supply drinking water? It began with conversations and great questions. How can watershed groups help land trusts with outreach? How can land trusts help utilities by protecting land upstream of their intakes? Could this effort create a new model for collaboration among these disparate interests? How could these three legs of a stool, which for decades have operated in separate spheres, work collaboratively on a landscape scale. And, if they did, would that position stakeholders to go after funding sources that had eluded them individually? With West Virginia Rivers Coalition serving as host, partners met over many months. They looked at existing and potential funding sources; they learned from one another about the overlap between land conservation and watershed restoration. They brainstormed on branding. They invited more partners. More people showed up. Establishing the Safe Water Conservation Collaborative During 2018, what began as questions became the Safe Water Conservation Collaborative. With WV Rivers Coalition support and funding, the plan for 2019 was to choose where to work, formulate strategies for funding and outreach, and to begin formalizing a structure for the collaborative. Partners in the Collaborative formed committees and got to work. In 2019, with this new plan in hand, Tanner Haid took the reins as WV Rivers Coalition staff supporting the Collaborative. As our Coordinator, he worked tirelessly to develop our workgroups, listened sensitively to our visions, and encouraged us to follow our convictions. Within two years we had a strategic plan; we were branded with a graphic logo, energized, and ready for prime time. What's Next for the Collaborative? In 2021, after several years of WV Rivers Coalition’ incubation, it was time for the Collaborative to leave the nest. WV Rivers Coalition had provided staff support for five years — not just for coordination, but for newsletters, website, database support, and fundraising. Now the question was: What's our next step? WV Rivers Coalition turned to long-time partner, the Potomac Conservancy, which holds many easements in the Eastern Panhandle and was a critical partner in the growth of Cacapon Lost River Land Trust. Collaborative partners enthusiastically gave their approval to invite Potomac Conservancy to assume the mantel of host partner in 2022. Hellos and Goodbyes We acknowledge the courage and faith of Hedrick Belin, Emily Warner and the Potomac Conservancy for stepping up as our new host agency. We are thankful for your support of our intention to pursue the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) grant this year. We applaud the hard work of Emily, Tanner, and many other members in preparing and submitting our application on time. Many people burned the midnight oil in support of the grant. But it was the trust of our members to get behind the change that guided the effort and galvanized the resolve. We had faith in one another and ourselves as a regional collaborative, and we were ready to have a stake in our own future. And we had fulfilled the intent of WV Rivers Coalition to incubate and fund our organization. With heartfelt thanks to WV Rivers Coalition, the Collaborative moved forward with Potomac Conservancy as our new host agency, only to learn that we were losing Tanner Haid, whose leadership seemed so integral to our future. Tanner left WV Rivers Coalition to work with One Tree Planted. But Tanner’s leadership had also engendered our capacity to recognize and summon up the same faith in ourselves that he had in us. We thank him for that gift. And then we learned that Emily Warner was leaving Potomac Conservancy to work with Cacapon Lost River Land Trust. While Emily certainly had not put this out there, we had to admit that thinking of her as the new “heir apparent” was a confidence booster for us. But we were happy for her to return to her old stomping grounds in West Virginia and a new leadership role. Through all of this, the Collaborative kept going, and continued networking with one another along lines that were by now well established. We welcomed back Michelle Wolfgang, our EPA Region 3 Liaison, who stepped up to assist in our linkage, to remind us of deadlines and organize important committee meetings. We thank her for taking on that not-so-fun role, and for the massive assistance she continues to provide, as well as being a positive and encouraging force. Celebrating Our Milestones We achieved many important organizational milestones last year. But possibly our greatest accomplishment was realizing that what blesses one blesses all, and as we look back, this year was an opportunity to accept and embrace change. We have not yet received an announcement regarding the outcome of our NFWF grant, but we have proven without doubt that we can do more together than alone, and clichéd though it may sound, together we are more than the sum of our parts. Together we have built a partnership that believes in itself. We met unforeseen challenges and kept the show going. We did not fold our tents. And we thank every one of our partners past and present for the chance to work together and prove our mettle. Here’s to a joyous holiday season and a new year of deepening our roles in protecting and defending the future of safe water, and the land on which it depends. | 
