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.
 

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 [...]

At the Conserv Board of Directors Annual Meeting today, a resolution was approved to explore the relationships between eastern forests and ocean acidification. Rather than a new interest area, this is an expansion in scale of the Forests to Faucets (F2F) program.
Resolution
By
Association of Conservation Real Estate dba Conserv
Board of Directors
December 10, 2010
Whereas the Chicago Climate [...]

Early work has now begun on the South Fork Rivanna Optimum Environmental Expenditure (OEE) Model. The Model will provide a quantitative process to compare the cost of pollution reduction gained through natural infrastructure (conservation practices) vs. the cost of pollution reduction gained through built infrastructure (dredging, etc.). This project will help provide one of the [...]

Conserv’s 4th quarter Board meeting will take place Friday, December 1, from 10-12 in Charlottesville, at the ReMAX office on Hydraulic Road.

The Capital
Richmond, Virginia
Wednesday, December 1
The Rappahannock River Basin Commission has taken another step forward in its multi-year program to implement market-based solutions to restore water quality in the Rappahannock River and Chesapeake Bay. At their quarterly meeting, in a unanimous vote (with one abstention), the Commission has decided to move forward with the testing of [...]

American Conservation Broker Roger Voisinet has three lots now on the market at one of the nation’s oldest conservation subdivisions in Greene County, Virginia. Called Farmcolony, it is a several hundred acre piedmont foothills farm that was preserved via this conservation development in the 1970s. Three upland lots (36, 37, and 38) with the best [...]

This fall, working with a host of for profit, non-profit, and government partners, Conserv plans on testing the efficacy of market-based pollution management practices to meet EPA’s Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment. The test will primarily be comprised of a simulation, similar to the Buy, Sell, Trade Game developed by [...]

The State of Georgia has approved the formation of the Georgia Chapter of the Association of Conservation Real Estate. Pam Sunderland, Director of the State Chapter as well as the new National Association of Conservation Real Estate, will immediately begin to recruit a state Board of Directors, develop a web site, and create an American [...]

As a result of Conserv’s collaboration with the Rappahannock River Basin Commission in 2010, the convening of the Rappahannock Exchange Business Advisory Council, and subsequent meetings and discussions, Conserv’s Board of Directors and Staff is considering the launch of a new business unit of the organization, called The Watershed Exchange for Clean Water (WatershedXH2O). The [...]

Georgia resident and former Maryland farm girl Pamela Sunderland has agreed to become Conserv’s first Director of Real Estate. Pam has a strong business background - as a retail owner and environmental consultant, and will be using her talents to move the following Initiatives forward:
A repackaging and refinement of the program to create a Georgia [...]

The first of three Rappahannock Initiative Working Groups will be convened in early August. The Marketplace Working Group is composed primarily of retailers and business persons from the basin. The purpose of the pilot Marketplace is to reduce the amount of Nitrogen and Phosphorus entering the Bay through increases in the sale of “Bay-friendly” products [...]

“Bids” for South Fork Rivanna Reservoir Watershed Forest Establishment projects opened July 15 and will run through July 39. See the F2F site for more details.

On June and July 8, two “Landowner Workshops” were held at the Virginia Department of Forestry in Charlottesville. The purpose of the Workshops were primarily to provide information about the Forest Establishment Bidding Process. Information from the following presentations was discussed:
Buck Kline Presentation
Michael Collins Presentation
Forest Easement Presentation
Dave Powell Presentation on Forest Establishment Details

[...]

Last week, another step toward creation of a bioregional economy based on Rappahannock River restoration, moved forward. As proposed by staff with Conserv (Rappahannock Business Council Kickoff Presentation), working with the Rappahannock River Basin Commission, the proposed Economic Development Initiative would contain two programs; a Marketplace or Exchange 2.0, facilitating and tracking the sale of [...]

Last week, the Virginia Department of Forestry, working with Conserv, hosted the first F2F Landowner Workshop. The purpose of the workshop was to provide information necessary for landowners in the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir Watershed to submit forest establishment project “bids”.  Bidding opens July 12 and closes July 30. Bids will be accepted through the F2F [...]

Charlottesville Daily Progress Sunday Paper Commentary…
Dateline 29 Television News Story…
Continuing information is available at the F2F site.

Conserv welcomes Buzz VanSantvoord (with fish below) as the organization’s first Director of Marketplace Development. Buzz will be working part-time for the organization on the Rappahannock Marketplace Initiative. Buzz will be working on the overall design of the Marketplace and on the “Chesapeake Friendly” certification protocols. Buzz is also President of Road Runner Consulting helping [...]

Today, Conserv, working with the Rappahannock River Basin Commission, sent out Invitations to attend the Kickoff of the Rappahannock Nutrient Cooperative Business Advisory Council at the University of Mary Washington Jebson Business Center on Thursday, June 10 from  10-1 p.m. The invitation from Virginia State Senator Emmett Hanger is below:

May 25, 2010
Dear Friend of [...]

Rappahannock Marketplace Business Advisory Council

June 10 Kickoff
10 a.m – 1 p.m.
University of Mary Washington
Jepson Business Center
Fredericksburg, Virginia

Agenda

Welcome and Charge - 10 a.m.
Purpose of Gathering – 10:00 – 10:10
Rappahannock Marketplace History – 10:10 – 10:20

Exchange [...]

The Deep Green Classifieds portion of the site is down.
The format for the Classifieds is now being revised.
New Ads for 2010 are now being accepted.
We are particularly interested in featuring rural landowners offering the following “ecosystem services” for sale or lease in 2010 in Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and North Carolina:

For Fee Fishing
Hunting Leases
Water Quality [...]

Kickoff Meeting for
Rappahannock Marketplace Business Council
Please Hold this Date!

Thursday, June 10
9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Jepson Center, University of Mary Washington
Fredericksburg, Virginia

Conserv and the Rappahannock River Basin Commission will convene a special follow-up meeting to the Rappahannock River Basin Symposium 2009:Incentivizing Restoration through a Chesapeake Bay Economy
The Business Council will be an Advisory Body to [...]

Today, Conserv was provided the green light to proceed with design and implementation of an ecosystem services marketplace for the Rivanna Forests to Faucets (F2F) Initiative. The marketplace will provide a platform for landowners in the South Fork Rivanna River Reservoir watershed to bid conservation practices for ecosystem services payment funds through the F2F program.
Implementation [...]

As a follow-up to the Rappahannock River Basin Commission 2009 Symposium, Conserv will convene a Rappahannock Marketplace Business Council in April or May of this year. Council participation will be by invitation only and will surely include business persons that participated in the fall symposium.
The Council is expected to consist of approximately 30 stakeholders and [...]

Conserv, under a contract with the Virginia Department of Forestry, has launched a new website to support the South Fork Rivanna Forests to Faucets (F2F) Initiative. The website will contain a library of resources to support meetings of an F2F Advisory Council and ad-hoc Technical Sessions for deliverables such as an ecosystem services cost benefits [...]

Conserv welcomes Nick Evans, PhD, as the first Director of Research. Nick is a graduate of the Sorensen Institute and Chairman of the Thomas Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District and is a Principal with Virginia Groundwater, LLC and The Center for Sustainable Groundwater. Nick will be taking responsibility for several of the technical components [...]

Since the day after the December 9, 2009 Rappahannock River Basin Symposium, Incentivizing Restoration through a Chesapeake Bay Economy, during which 130 citizens concerned about the health of the Rappahannock River and Chesapeake Bay examined a proposal to create a “Chesapeake Bay Economy” via a “Rappahannock Exchange”, Conserv has been busy working with parties on [...]

This morning, a diverse group of about 25 persons gathered at the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) in Charlottesville to discuss the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir (SFRR) Forests to Faucets (F2F) Initiative. Posted below is Conserv Executive Director Michael Collins’ Presentation (with minor edits) along with that of Director of Forestland Conservation Buck Kline. More [...]

Conserv: Marketplace for Ecosystem Restoration, working with The Center for Sustainable Groundwater, and Virginia Groundwater, LLC, have completed the study Underground Albemarle Revisited: The Role of Groundwater Ecosystem Services in Determining an Optimal Sustainable Population Size for the Charlottesville/Albemarle Community. The study was prepared for the non-profit organization, Advocates for a Sustainable Albemarle Population (ASAP).

The [...]