The Rappahannock River Friendly Yard Initiative is moving forward.
What makes this project unique is the attempt to incentivize river friendly suburban river friendly retrofits through a suite of property owner rewards, rather than through direct government/grant payments and/or through exclusive public education. It is hoped that recognition of the economic impediments to river friendly landscaping, [...]

After nearly a year and a half in development, Version I of Conserv’s Optimum Environmental Expenditure (OEE) tool and related Watershed-Reservoir Wellness Index (WRWI) will be reviewed for the first time by the F2F Advisory Council at an upcoming Fall, 2011 meeting. The OEE/WRWI is an optimum green/gray infrastructure expenditure sensitivity tool developed for local [...]

After months of development, Conserv will spin off the demonstration project Conservation Meadow Services (CMS) as a new for-profit corporation. The transition from demonstration project to an independent business entity will begin immeditately.
This business development process is a key objective of Conserv’s R&D focus. This birthing process is not an end, rather a new beginning - and we will continue [...]

Conserv is proud to welcome Dan Spethmann, Ph.D. as Consulting Ecological Economist. Dan will be assisting with financial and economic issues for the Forests to Faucets (F2F), Nutrient Neutral Highway, and Trust for Clean Water Economy projects. 
In addition to his degree in Forest Economics, Dan is also working on completion of Doctoral research on the ethical stewardship [...]

The Rivanna River Forests to Faucets (F2F) Initiative Advisory Council will meet Tuesday, October 18th at 10 a.m. at the Virginia Department of Forestry Headquarters in Charlottesville, Virginia. The F2F program includes development of a financial process to link urban water consumers and rural landowners that provide water-supply related ecosystem services. To accomplish this, two [...]

Last week, the Virginia Urban and Community Forestry Partnership (VDOF) and the Tri-County/City Soil and Water Conservation District generously awarded funds for Phase I of the River Friendly Yard program. The program is a growing grassroots multi-year partnership between the City of Fredericksburg, the National Wildlife Federation, the Tri-County Soil and Water Conservation District, the [...]

Conserv welcomes John Hermsmeier as Manager of Conservation Meadow Services.  John attended the University of Virginia and after graduating with a degree in Environmental Science - began a long teaching career with private and public schools in the Charlottesville area, and for many years was Executive Director of the Environmental Education Center. During years teaching at Renaissance [...]

Conserv welcomes Chris Sonne, P.E. as Ecological Engineer to assist with our projects. Chris is the current Board Chairman of the James River Green Building Council and specializes in low-impact site design. Better yet, Chris is also a blacksmith and snowboarder. He lives in beautiful Nelson County, Virginia.

Earlier today, Conserv tested a beta version of The Water Supply Watershed Environmental Services Game at the Lands for Tomorrow conference at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia. The intent of the game, actually, a simulation, is to demonstrate the costs and benefits of an environmental services-based approach to watershed management in a water-supply reservoir watershed. The simulation featured the [...]

On July 1st, Conserv will launch Conservation Meadow Services (CMS), a new conservation service for suburban landowners that provides design, installation, and maintenance of native plant meadows. The meadows add color and texture to a yard, in addition to reducing erosion and increasing local plant and wildlife biodiversity. The meadows require little or no water after the first season, [...]

Al Weed, with Public Policy of Virginia, Michael Collins, and Rebekah Remick, DEQ Air Division Staff, presented Small Scale Biopowered Technologies at May 12 webinar.
 

Public radio story on Virginia Department of Forestry F2F tree planting project implementation moving forward…
Congratulations to VDOF Forester David Powell, Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority Water Resources Manager Tamara Ambler, and farmer Richard Hudson on a great story!
Also thanks to WAMU and NPR for providing awareness about this program.

Meeting Announcement and Agenda
River Friendly Yard - Rappahannock
Tuesday, April 26
10 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
Fredericksburg City Hall
715 Princess Anne Street
1. Review Pre-Scope of Work
2. Revise Scope of Work
3. Discuss Completion of Budget
Dial-in Number: 1-218-936-4700
Participant Access Code: 567004

Conserv, in collaboration with consultant Pamela Sunderland, recently completed a prototype environmental assets report for a 300 acre farm in the piedmont of Virginia (Jordan River Farm Phase I Executive Summary). Protocols developed in the project are now being used for implementation of a new demonstration project for 2011 called Natural Asset Management Services (NAM). NAM [...]

Yesterday, the Conserv Board of Directors officially authorized the launch of three new R&D Initiatives for 2011 and two new fee-based services. The three Initiatives are:

The River Friendly Yard
Rappahannock Optimum Energy and Environmental Efficiency
The Nutrient Neutral Highway

The two fee-based services to be launched in the weeks ahead are:

Conservation Meadow Services yard restoration
Natural Asset Management services

[...]

MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT

The spring Board of Directors meeting will be held Thursday, April 7 at 10 a.m. at the ReMax office on Hydraulic Road. A staff meeting will be held at 9 before the Board meeting.
AGENDA
1. Review January-March, 2011 Activities
2. Review Budget
3. Review April-June Plans
4. Board Request for Authorization of 2011 [...]

Yesterday, an exploratory committee composed of for-profit businesses, non-profit organizations, and local governments enthusiastically agreed to move forward with a 24 month project to explore the efficiency of “river friendly” yards to help reduce pollution to the Chesapeake Bay. In the coming weeks, a Steering Committee composed of Gentle Gardener Green Design, The National Wildlife [...]

Update:
The participants in the Optimum Environmental/Energy Expenditure meeting recently held in Fredericksburg decided to move forward with a project. The goal of the project is to develop financial mechanisms that lead to more efficient environmental expenditures to reduce pollution to the River and Bay and energy expenditures that have the triple benefit of reduced cost [...]

On Wednesday, March 30, at 10 a.m., at the George Washington Regional Commission Conference Room, the former Rappahannock River Basin Nonpoint Source Work Group (RRBC NPSWG) will meet for the first time in 2011 as a new Technical Committee. The Committee’s goals are: 
to facilitate discussions across sectors (wastewater, stormwater, on-site, agriculture and forestry) to continue [...]

Bay Friendly Yard Exploratory Meeting
Tuesday, March 29
10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
National Wildlife Federation
Reston, Virginia
After months of preparation, Conserv, in partnership with the Rappahnanock River Basin Commission, the National Wildlife Federation, Gentle Gardener Green Design, + Partners will convene to explore the financial and conservation benefits of a Bay Friendly Yard. The idea is simple [...]

Staff from Conserv, the Virginia Department of Forestry, and the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority, will discuss progress on the South Fork Rivanna Forests to Faucets (F2F) Initiative at the upcoming VA Section AWWA Water Resources & Environment Spring Seminar.
Water Resources Spring Seminar
April 12, 2011
9:00 AM -3:00 PM
Glen Allen Cultural Arts Center, Glen [...]

Fredericksburg - Caroline County - Fort A.P. Hill Optimum Environmental and Energy Efficiency Project (OEEE)
THE USE OF ENERGY CROPS AND AFFORESTATION TO ENHANCE MILITARY INSTALLATION OPERATIONAL CAPABILITY, PROTECT RURAL LANDS, AND REDUCE NON-POINT SOURCE POLLUTION TO MEET THE CHESAPEAKE BAY TMDL

Monday, March 14
9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Fredericksburg City [...]

The Association of Conservation Real Estate offers the leading real estate sales agent and broker conservation certification program in the U.S. and welcomes two new members to our family in 2011. Read more about them and why they have pursued our Aldo Leopold oriented certification method here in the weeks ahead….

Conserv staff along with staff from the Rappahannock River Basin Commission, will present 2011 plans to test alternative architectural platforms for the Trust for a Clean Water Economy to the Virginia Water Commission January 10 in Richmond. An overview of the proposed Trust was presented to the Rappahannock River Basin Commission in December. At that [...]