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 has been awarded a contract with the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) to provide project support for the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir (SFRR) Forests to Faucets (F2F) Initiative in Charlottesville, Virginia. The primary mission of this groundbreaking program is to create a new model process to financially link urban water consumers [...]

More information forthcoming….
Forests to Faucets (F2F) Advisory Council

Meeting Announcement and Agenda
Meeting Announcement

The Virginia Department of Forestry and Conserv invites you to attend a meeting of the new Forests to Faucets (F2F) Advisory Council. The Council will advise the Department on issues and processes related to implementation of the Rivanna South Fork Reservoir Forests to [...]

Months ago, after leaving a government job to work nearly full time for Conserv, my wife and I scrutinized our financial spreadsheet and reduced expenses. One of things that had to go was T.V., a difficult choice, sports fan that I am. In its place, I’ve rediscovered radio, albeit 21st century style, through the magic [...]

On Friday, the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities, Inc. approved the Virginia Department of Forestry’s proposal to pay landowners for ecosystem services in the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir. The three year program will establish a pilot system to provide annual payments to rural landowners to reduce sediment loss and increase watershed resilience. More details [...]

In this 40 minute lively interview, Rappahannock River Basin Commission Coordinator Eldon James discusses the Commission’s new initiative to use an economic development platform to restore the Rappahannock River and the Chesapeake Bay with Conserv Executive Director Michael Collins. Details about the agenda for the December 9 Symposium, Incentivizing Restoration through a Chesapeake Bay Economy, [...]

The upcoming economic development symposium, Incentivizing Restoration through a Chesapeake Bay Economy, is generating tremendous interest. Conserv will broadcast an interview with Rappahannock River Basin Commission staff member Eldon James on Saturday, November 14, on the symposium, the Rappahannock Exhange, and issues related to the notion of using economic development to restore the Chesapeake Bay.

[...]

Imagine a day in the not too distant future when the government and private sector work in concert to achieve Chesapeake Bay restoration. Imagine watershed-based marketplaces found in every major river basin transacting products and services, every one of which, contributes to bringing the Bay back to life. Imagine communities, businesses, and landowners interacting [...]

Sixth in the series on the Pillars of a Bioregional Economy to help restore keystone environmental assets…Conserv Executive Director Michael Collins interviews one of the governmental leaders in Virginia in the emerging area of ecosystem services…Virginia Department of Forestry Director of the Division of Forestland Conservation, Everette “Buck” Kline.
This 20 minute broadcast includes basic concepts [...]

We are working on the following for publication this week:

An update on the Rappahannock Exchange Kickoff and Symposium, to be held in Fredericksburg December 9.
A podcast interview with Buck Kline, Director of Forestland Conservation for the Virginia Department of Forestry and one of the senior statesmen for ecosystem services in Virginia.
Another in the series of [...]

The early operational framework that has been developed for the Rappahannock Exchange, a proposed bioregional marketplace to be located in Central Virginia, to stretch from the Chesapeake Bay to the Blue Ridge Mountains, features the use of an “Environmental Business Indicator”. Exactly how the indicator will be deployed won’t be known until the Ecosystem Services [...]

The Rappahannock River Basin Symposium Steering Committee welcomes the assistance of Jacquelyn Holley Pogue with design and facilitation of the symposium. Jacqueline has been a university teacher, psychotherapist, partner in a nation wide consulting firm, facilitator/mediator for organizations, consultant to corporations and mentor for  executives, in addition to her role as founder of coalitions and a  community organizer providing [...]

Just released from the Rappahannock River Basin Commission:
2009 Rappahannock River Basin Symposium
Creating a Bay-friendly Economy
The Rappahannock River Basin Commission, in conjunction with The Virginia Department of Forestry, Conserv, and other partners, will host the 2009 Rappahannock River Symposium called Creating a Bay-friendly Economy. The symposium will be a highly [...]

Yesterday, at the Chesapeake Bay Reathorization Hearing, Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, amid impressive, heartfelt, bipartisan testimonies and commentaries of folks around the Bay, including Tom Perriello, Secretary Preston Bryant, and Gerry Connolly, were the words of Rob Wittman, and from EPA, Chuck Fox, sowing the seeds of a 21st century Bay-friendly economy:
Excerpt from [...]

Graves Mountain Lodge, Syria, Virginia…
Eldon James, staff member to the Commission, proposed the following framework for the launch of the Rapahannock Exchange Initiative. 
The Rappahannock River Basin Commission, working with Conserv, the Virginia Department of Forestry, the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, and the Virginia Ecosystem Services Interagency Team, will sponsor a fall [...]

Tomorrow, Conserv will post the briefing presented today to the Rappahannock River Basin Commission on the kickoff symposium for the Rappahannock Exchange on December 9 in Fredericksburg.

The City of Charlottesville, County of Albemarle, Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority, The Rivanna River Basin Commission,  Congressman Tom Perriello, The World Resources Institute, and others have provided letters of support for a Virginia Department of Forestry proposal to undertake a pilot project for payment of regulating ecosystem services (PRES) in the South Fork Rivanna [...]