| | | | The Intake Your Source for Collaborative News December 2020 | | | | | | | | 2020 Year End Celebration | | Let me begin with a big "THANK YOU!" to each and every one of you. Sincerely, you are what make this partnership what is it. We could not do this without you. With every email response; with every survey answer; with every Zoom meeting - YOU are moving us one step closer to success. | | | | | | And what a year it has been! To name a few successes: - Created 6 "landowner legacy" videos (Susan Whalton, Floyd Kursey, Tom Gleason, Linda Case, Matthew Grove, and Clint & Christina Hogbin).
- Generated three stories in local and regional media (Chesapeake Bay Journal, Local-DVM, and Herald Mail).
- Sent multiple postcards to 750 priority landowners within drinking water protection areas (See reach by water utility: Berkeley County PSWD, Charles Town Utility Board, City of Martinsburg, Harpers Ferry Water Works, Jefferson Utilities Inc., and Shepherdstown Water and Sanitary Board.)
These actions, and many more from across the partnership, have resulted in at least one landowner applying to conserve their land. Change takes time, but rest assured that our strategy is working! Lastly, as your proud and humble host partner, WV Rivers Coalition has also learned many lessons on how to better serve you in the partnership. Bottom-line: the Collaborative is all about you, and your time is our most valuable asset. Looking forward to continued successes in 2021!  Tanner Haid | | | | Strategic Plan Update Thanks to everyone for your engagement thus far! This strategic plan is truly shaping up to be a shared plan. It is rich with your insight, and will thrive with your continued engagement. Each of you are adding immeasurable value to the plan - thank you! A quick update on our schedule below: | | | | | | | | Postcard Campaign The third postcard in our outreach campaign featuring landowners with conservation easements was sent to 750+ landowners in Jefferson & Berkeley Counties. This postcard featured Linda Case in the Bullskin Run Watershed of Jefferson County. A fourth, and final, postcard for this campaign will be sent in January 2021. | | | | | | Around the Collaborative If you have exciting news, please let us know and we'll share with our partners in next month's edition. | | | | | | The Land Trust of the Eastern Panhandle is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. “One of the ways in which we are observing this milestone has been to write the stories of the landowners who placed their land under conservation easements,” writes Susan Whalton of the LTEP. “It is important to us not only to preserve and protect each property under easement, but to record the stories of the people who entrusted us with their land and recognize those people for their vision. We are grateful and proud to share their stories, and look forward to collecting and writing many, many more.” Read the landowner stories here. | | | | Through a $6,700 grant from the Corporation of Shepherdstown, Dr. Peter Vila and Jeff Groff of the Shepherd University Dept. of Environmental and Physical Sciences have installed a new water quality monitoring station to monitor Town Run in Shepherdstown. The station will “show water and discharge levels and measure oxygen, pH, temperature and conductivity”. Read the full story. Town Run serves as the second drinking water source for the Corporation of Shepherdstown. | | | | The Jefferson County Historic Landmarks Commission has announced its grant award of $25,000 from the National Trust of Historic Preservation. The grant will be used to help fund two of JCHLC’s programs: the rehabilitation of Duffield’s Depot and the Jefferson County Historic Preservation Fund. This grant was made possible by the generosity of the Estate of Henry Willard II, a Jefferson County resident. More here. Martin Burke is the Chairperson for the JCHLC. | | | | The West Virginia Land Trust (WVLT) helped permanently protect 755 acres along the South Fork of the South Branch of the Potomac River in Pendleton County. In collaboration with The Nature Conservancy, Potomac Conservancy, and West Virginia Outdoor Heritage Conservation Fund, a conservation easement held by WVLT protects three miles along the river and 18 rare species and plant communities. Adam Webster is our partnership's contact with WVLT (see full bio in Partner Spotlight). Read more about Cliff Canyon here. Watch a video about the Cliff Canyon project below. | | | | | | | | What's Happening A recap of recent & upcoming meetings, webinars, and more. - November 24 – Cadmus Group facilitated a strategic planning conversation to set workgroup-specific Objectives, based in part off of a short set of "conversation starter" survey responses. The Workgroup loosely discussed ideas on a shared whiteboard, which Cadmus Group then edited into first draft Objectives for the Workgroup to review and finalize (full meeting notes here).
- December 2 – Cadmus Group facilitated a strategic planning conversation to set workgroup-specific Objectives, based in part off of a short set of "conversation starter" survey responses. The Workgroup loosely discussed ideas on a shared whiteboard, which Cadmus Group then edited into first draft Objectives for the Workgroup to review and finalize (full meeting notes here).
- December 17 – Steering Committee will meet to review the draft Workgroup Objectives and discuss their roles & responsibilities within the partnership.
- January (TBD) – Gathering to discuss Objectives, review progress, and talk about next steps
- January (TBD) - Education & Outreach Workgroup meeting to evaluate success of postcard campaign and discuss opportunities for a follow-up campaign this spring
- January (TBD) - Conservation Workgroup meeting to discuss updating the Collaborative's GIS Prioritization Model. Partners are encouraged to explore the map and provide your feedback.
| | | | Partner Spotlight Take a moment to learn about all the great people & organizations that are a part of our work. | | | | | |  | Matt Pennington is the Environmental Program Coordinator for Region 9 and is a member of the Stewardship Workgroup. Organized in 1972, the mission of the Eastern Panhandle Regional Planning and Development Council (Region 9) is to “assist local governments in resolving their common problems, engage in area-wide comprehensive and functional planning,” as well as utilize state and federal grants. Region 9 provides “a regional focus in regard to multiple programs undertaken on an area-wide basis.” Matt is a graduate of Frostburg State University with a B.S. in Community and Regional Planning. | | |  | Adam Webster is the Conservation and Communications Coordinator for the WVLT and supports the Conservation Workgroup. The West Virginia Land Trust is a statewide nonprofit dedicated to protecting West Virginia’s natural lands, scenic areas, water quality and recreational access in perpetuity. Their mission includes "working with a statewide network of partners to build a passionate land conservation movement in the state.” Since 1994, the organization has permanently protected more than 18,500 acres statewide. Adam Webster is a native West Virginian. His expertise includes water quality protection and management with experience working for industry, private consulting, government, and nonprofit organizations. | | |  | Barbara Humes is the Council liaison for the Harpers Ferry Water Commission and is a member of the Steering Committee. The Harpers Ferry Water Commission was designed to assist the Town Council in directing its responsibilities in the management and maintenance of the Harpers Ferry Water Works. Land conservation and stewardship practices are critical components of their Source Water Protection Plan. Water Commission regular meetings are held at the Town Hall at 7:00 PM on the third Wednesday of each month. In addition to her elected duties, Barbara is also a member of the Land Trust of the Eastern Panhandle. | | | | | | | | West Virginia Rivers Coalition
3501 MacCorkle Ave SE #129 | Charleston, West Virginia 25304
304-637-7201 | wvrivers@wvrivers.org | |  | | | | | | | | |
