| | The Intake Your Source for Collaborative News August 2020 |
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| A quick note - We want to to share a big "THANK YOU!" to Torri Martin with Berkeley County Farmland Protection Board. She has joined the "Intake" team in helping write up our announcements and partner spotlights each month. We couldn't have brought you this month's newsletter without her - you're awesome, Torri. If you'd like to join the team, just let me know - the Collaborative only works with your engagement! Now take it all in, and enjoy. -Tanner Haid |
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| | New Collaborative Toolkit Completed |
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| Many thanks to all of the members of the Stewardship Workgroup for putting in the work over the last year to create our new toolkit - James Remuzzi, Tim Canfield, Amy Henry, Barbie Elliott, Matthew Pennington, Peter Vila, and Kristen Bisom. Great job, all around! The Best Management Practices Toolkit, which includes a conservation survey and educational brochure, can be used by conservation easement monitors to quickly assess what BMPs might be applicable on conserved lands. With permission, Collaborative partners can then conduct targeted landowner outreach to increase BMP implementation, further protecting our drinking water supplies. Our partners with local land trusts and farmland protection boards will now be discussing opportunities for implementation in fall/winter 2020. Explore the BMP Toolkit here. Want to help us strengthen these resources? If so, we invite you to provide your feedback via this survey. |
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| | Announcements If you have exciting news, please let us know and we'll share with our partners in next month's edition. |
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| Brandon Chuvalas is the Superintendent Chief Operator of Harpers Ferry Water Works. Before leaving his position to explore new prospects, Brandon shared his views on the importance of source water protection in a Letter to the Editor of the Spirit of Jefferson. He believes that safeguarding clean drinking water involves protecting water at the source, upstream of water intakes and wellheads. He states that source water protection should be the “primary strategy, with the treatment plants serving as critical backstops for any remaining contaminants” and he encourages other Water Operators to take similar actions in their communities. As his tenure comes to an end, we wish to thank Brandon for his service and source water leadership. Best of luck in your next position, Brandon! |
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| The WV Department of Health & Human Resources has announced their 2020-2021 Local Source Water Program Grant Application. These grants are designed to provide funding for the development and implementation of local wellhead and source water protection programs. Eligible grant activities include "establish or participate in programs for transferring development rights to land
outside of the protection area and creating conservation easements", as well as "land purchase and conservation easements." Applications due October 1st for grant requests up to $50,000. If you have ideas for how Collaborative partners could use these funds to further our mission, please email Tanner Haid at thaid@wvrivers.org. Monica Whyte, Environmental Resource Specialist, is our local field contact if you have questions. More information here. |
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| Emily Warner, Senior Director of Land Conservation with the Potomac Conservancy, has shared a job opening for the position of Community Conservation Manager. The position offers a unique opportunity to help protect the environment and clean water through the leadership of volunteer teams, planning and execution of events, and program management. Please share this job opportunity with your supporters. |
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| Kristin Alexander, Executive Director of Potomac Valley Audubon Society, and neighboring landowner Linda Case have worked together to protect Cool Spring Nature Preserve with conservation easements held by the West Virginia Land Trust. Read the full story here. Cool Spring Nature Preserve is within Charles Town Utility Board's drinking water protection area around the Bullskin Run, which flows into the Shenandoah River upstream of CTUB's water intake. Linda graciously shared her "Landowner Legacy" story with us - watch the video now! |
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| | | What's Happening Around the Collaborative A recap of recent & upcoming meetings, webinars, and more. - July 22nd - Tanner Haid from WV Rivers Coalition presented at the Charles Town Utility Board meeting regarding the Collaborative's upcoming strategic planning process.
- August 4th - Steering Committee kick-off meeting with our strategic plan consultant, Ashley Arayas with Cadmus Group. Watch the meeting, view the presentation, or read the notes.
- August 6th - Logo Development sub-committee meeting to review concept ideas generated by Downstream Project. Many thanks to Bill Howard for his assistance, as well as Georgia Jeppesen and Susan Whalton with Land Trust of the Eastern Panhandle for their leadership! Read the meeting notes.
- August 12th - Conservation Workgroup meeting to discuss "Barriers to Land Conservation" and implementation of the BMP Toolkit. Read the meeting notes.
- September 1st - Collaborative Gathering via Zoom from 2:00-3:00pm.
- September 2nd - Education & Outreach Workgroup meeting to review successes & challenges of landowner outreach conducted in July & August, and next steps for continued outreach.
- September 8th - BMP Toolkit Implementation Planning Meeting with the Conservation and Stewardship Workgroups.
- October (TBD) - upcoming Stewardship Workgroup meeting
- November 12th - upcoming Conservation Workgroup meeting
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| | Partner Spotlight Take a moment to learn about all the great people & organizations that are a part of our work. |
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|  | Jeff Pippel is the Operations Manager at Jefferson Utilities, Inc. and serves on the Steering Committee. Jefferson Utilities, Inc. is a public water utility in Jefferson County. Formed in 1985, they currently facilitate 15 water treatment locations and serve 3,600 homes and over 33 communities around the county. Their mission is to help their consumers and their community through valuable service. Jeff received the 2016 Perkins-Boynton Award from the West Virginia section of the American Water Works Association and the West Virginia Bureau of Public Health. Read the full story. |
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 | Torri Martin is the Administrative Assistant and Stewardship Manager with the Berkeley County Farmland Protection Board and is a writer for the Intake newsletter. Established in 2000, the Berkeley County Farmland Protection Board offers county property owners the opportunity to place their lands in a perpetual conservation easement, protecting the land from future subdivision while allowing the owners to continue to enjoy the agricultural and residential uses on their land. They are a nonprofit, tax exempt county government organization managed by a board of county residents and local government officials. |
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 | Tim Canfield is the District Conservationist for the Natural Resource Conservation Service and is on the Stewardship Workgroup. The Natural Resource Conservation Service is a branch of the USDA that helps farmers and landowners protect the land’s natural resources and wildlife. Their vision is to deliver programs and services fairly with equality, respect, and accountability without discrimination. Their headquarters are located in Washington, D.C. with offices across the country. Local branches can be found in Martinsburg and Charles Town. |
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| Quick Fact “Overall, researchers project that about 45,700 square miles of forestland in nonurban areas in the United States in 2000, an area approximately the size of Pennsylvania, will be located within an urban area in 2050, and much of this forestland would be lost to buildings, roads, and other infrastructure." "Our Built and Natural Environments", US Environmental Protection Agency (2013) |
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| | West Virginia Rivers Coalition
3501 MacCorkle Ave SE #129 | Charleston, West Virginia 25304
304-637-7201 | wvrivers@wvrivers.org |
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