Moving forward for the Potomac River and our community
/Read Potomac Conservancy’s 2019-2020 Annual Report
IMage © Thomas Schudel 2020. All Rights Reserved.
Hedrick Belin
Potomac Conservancy President
As a champion of our local environment, what does water – clean water – mean to you?
To me, a clean Potomac River does more than supply drinking water to you and 5 million people, support local businesses, nourish wildlife, and provide a free space for recreation.
The Potomac River unites us.
In this time of crisis, more people than ever are turning to our hometown river for solace, hope, and much-needed fun. The incalculable value of this resource for our collective well-being and public health demonstrates why we must continue to defend and protect it.
We started the year with the hope that this would be the decade when we would reach our goal of a fully swimmable, fishable, and drinkable Potomac River. Then we were hit by a pandemic, economic recession, and stark reminders of racial injustices.
Our staff and members understand that clean water is not an issue that can be put on the back burner until life returns to “normal.” Determined to push forward, we have adapted, using the power of our community (and technology) to become stronger and more inclusive.
With your generous support this year, we:
Helped Frederick County, MD enact the strongest forest protection laws in Maryland through online grassroots organizing,
Partnered with upstream farmers and landowners to enlarge a strategic conservation hub,
Launched a Volunteer Leadership Team to hold more community cleanups, and,
Expanded our diversity, justice, equity, and inclusion work to strengthen our conservation initiatives and address the ties between racial justice and the environmental movement.
We must not lose sight of the goal we held in January. The recently released 2020 Potomac River Report Card confirms that our local environment is at a tipping point.
Your commitment at this critical moment will make all the difference in the fight ahead. Our local conservation initiatives prevent pollution and directly address threats from rapid deforestation, the climate crisis, and rollbacks of landmark federal clean water protections.
By coming together and uniting around our love for the river, we will move forward. Your unwavering support allows us to make sustainable progress towards the idyllic vision we share for our lands, waters, and communities.
Thank you for helping us build this local movement to save the Potomac River and achieve positive change for all of us who depend on it.
Sincerely,
Hedrick Belin
Potomac Conservancy President
Join our local movement for clean water and help protect the progress we’ve made so far. Donate today!
