The Intake

Your Source for Collaborative News

March 2021

 

"Strategies" Have Been Drafted!

Thank you to everyone for your engagement with the strategic planning process over the past 6 months!

At this point, partners have developed big-picture, long-term, Collaborative-wide goals, as well as workgroup-specific objectives. To support these objectives, each of the workgroups have now drafted their own set of partner-supported strategies - read them here!

Click the image to see the timeline in full screen. Current phase highlighted in green.

The next steps in our strategic planning process include:

  • March 17 - Steering Committee meeting to review draft strategies & develop their own responsibilities for fulfilling their roles
  • March 23 - survey will be sent to all partners to respond to draft workgroup strategies & steering committee responsibilities
  • April 28-30 (TBD) - full-partnership gathering to review survey results & receive final feedback
  • May 7 - Steering Committee approve final strategies

From there, Cadmus Group will draft the strategic plan for our review, and then finalize in June 2021.

We're almost finished - keep up the great work!

 

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 presents their latest Story from the Land, celebrating the conservation of over 30 acres in Jefferson and Berkeley County belonging to Mark Eddy. The property is home to a variety of species, including the Eastern red fox, as well as a diverse water system comprised of “unexplored caves, sinkholes, underground streams, and breathing holes” along the Opequon Creek. Susan Whalton is a member of the Land Trust of the Eastern Panhandle and assisted Mr. Eddy in sharing his story along with LTEP's Vice President Bonnie Stubblefield.

WV Rivers led a team of West Virginia organizations in meetings to educate our elected officials as part of the Choose Clean Water Coalition's annual "Bay Days on Capitol Hill". The team shared local success stories that supported our requests for increasing funding for impactful conservation programs in our state such as the EPA Chesapeake Bay Program, the US Fish & Wildlife Service Chesapeake WILD Program, and critical Farm Bill programs such as the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). In response to our recognition of her leadership on key conservation programs, Senator Capito told the team "This is not thanks to me. It’s thanks to your efforts educating me about the importance of this type of legislation.” 

Mark Schiavone is the Executive Director of the Berkeley County Farmland Protection Board and shared their local story of using RCPP funds in the Eastern Panhandle. 

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation hosted their annual "All Bay Agricultural Network Forum" virtually in February, with several Collaborative partners in attendance during the "Best Practices in Outreach and Behavior Change: Nudge Theory" webinar. Presenters discussed the "Benefits of - and Barriers to - Selected Conservation Practices", as well as improving decision-making environmental for agri-environmental programs by understanding the MINDSPACE framework.

Stephanie Heidbreder is the Chesapeake Bay Programs Manager at the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

 

What's Happening

A recap of recent & upcoming meetings, webinars, and more.

  • February 19 – Cadmus Group facilitated a strategic planning conversation to set partner-supported Strategies, based in part off of partner's Jamboard brainstorming responses. Meeting notes.
  • February 26 - A team of partners met to discuss a potential National Fish & Wildlife Foundation Small Watershed Implementation Grant. WV Rivers gave a presentation that provided an overview of the Grant RFP, and then facilitated a brainstorming session in Jamboard. 
  • March 3 – Cadmus Group facilitated a strategic planning conversation to set partner-supported Strategies, based in part off of partner's Jamboard brainstorming responses. Meeting notes.
  • March 12 - Continued conversations with partners regarding a potential National Fish & Wildlife Foundation grant. Meeting notes.
  • March 17 – Steering Committee at 1pm to review Workgroup Strategies and develop Steering Committee Responsibilities for achieving Roles
  • March 26 - NFWF Small Watershed Implementation Grant Planning Team meeting at 10am. If you'd like to join the conversation, email thaid@wvrivers.org for meeting details.
  • April 28-30 (TBD) - full-partnership Gathering to review survey results re: Strategies.
 

Partner Spotlight

Take a moment to learn about all the great people & organizations that are a part of our work.

Andrew Szwak is the Mid-Atlantic Program Manager with the Land Trust Alliance.

The LTA is a national conservation organization dedicated to the growth, protection and leadership of over 1,000 land trust members and 4.6 million supporters across the nation. The LTA works with land trusts to educate, train and ensure successful conservation practices.

Andrew has more than 20 years of conservation experience, including managing government affairs for Openlands in Chicago and managing the State of Georgia’s Land Conservation Program.

Andrew coordinates the Land & Water Initiative which provides funding to WV Rivers Coalition to support the Collaborative.

Emily Wells Morrow is an Extension Agent for the Jefferson County Extension Office and is a member of the Education & Outreach Workgroup.

The Jefferson County Extension Office hosts a variety of programs to educate and assist communities across the state to help maintain a healthy agricultural and natural environment. The Extension Office also provides resources to aid and inform with programs for 4-H youth, family, and health.

As the Agriculture & Natural Resources Extension Agent with the Extension Office, Emily's work centers around youth agriculture Education, small and beginning farmer programs, and nutrient management research.

Barbie Elliott is a Conservation Specialist for the WV Conservation Agency and is a member of the Stewardship Workgroup.

WVCA's mission is to “provide for and promote the protection and conservation of West Virginia soil, land, water and related sources for the health, safety and general welfare of the state’s citizens”. The Agency offers programs and educational resources to promote better agricultural and environmental practices, and works alongside the Eastern Panhandle Conservation District.

Born and raised in Berkeley County, Barbie has been with WVCA for the past 16 years, working closely with the Ag Enhancement and Chesapeake Bay Programs in providing technical assistance to local landowners and farmers.  

 

Quick Fact

Approximately 80 conservation easements have been completed within drinking water protection areas, identified as the most-valued lands for conservation in the Collaborative's GIS Prioritization Model. These easements have permanently protected 8,000+ acres of land; 20+ miles of streams; nearly 300 acres of RFBs; and 3,000+ acres of forests.

-Internal analysis of protected lands dataset & GIS Prioritization Model data.

West Virginia Rivers Coalition
3501 MacCorkle Ave SE #129  | Charleston, West Virginia 25304
304-637-7201 | wvrivers@wvrivers.org

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