MJRT Executive Committee Elections Results
The Roundtable Steering Committee elected its new Executive Committee officers at the quarterly meeting held on Thursday, June 26, 2014 in Lynchburg, Virginia. Congratulations to the new Executive Committee:
- Chairperson: Kip Mumauw - Ecosystem Services, LLC
- Vice Chairperson: Paul Davis - Citizen
- Treasurer: Nancy Drumheller - Central Virginia Waste Management Authority
- Secretary: Erin Hawkins - City of Lynchburg Department of Water Resources
- Chair-Elect: Hallie (Boisseau) Stephenson - Keep Henrico Beautiful
Thank you to the outgoing Executive Committee:
- Chairperson: Erin Hawkins - City of Lynchburg Department of Water Resources
- Vice Chairperson/Chair-Elect: Kip Mumauw - Ecosystem Services, LLC
- Treasurer: Anna Mathis - Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay
- Secretary: Nancy Drumheller - Central Virginia Waste Management Authority
MJRT 2014 Annual Meeting Wrap-Up
The Middle James Roundtable held its annual meeting on Wednesday, May 14, 2014 at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. There were approximately 75 attendees at the event representing nonprofit, private sector, local/state government, and citizen groups from throughout the watershed. During the Roundtable business meeting portion of the event, Erin Hawkins (Chairperson), Kip Mumaw (Vice-Chairperson/Chair Elect) and Megan Sommers Bascone (Project Manager) welcomed attendees and gave a brief overview of Roundtable history as well as past and current projects. Chairperson Hawkins conducted the Steering Committee elections and the following six Steering Committee members were elected to serve for the 2014-2017 term:
- Anna Mathis - Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay
- David Taylor - Chesterfield County Department of Environmental Engineering
- Olivia Hall - Henrico County Department of Public Works
- Paul Davis - Thomas Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District
- Sarah Stewart - Richmond Regional Planning District Commission
- Wood Hudson - Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission
Please join us in thanking the following Steering Committees for their service as they step down from the committee:
- Bret Schardein - Citizen
- Lisa Hardy - Citizen
- Margaret Smigo - Virginia Department of Environmental Quality
The morning session included two panel discussions. The first panel discussion focused on financing municipal stormwater and was comprised of locality representatives from Charlottesville, Chesterfield Lynchburg, and Petersburg. The second panel covered homeowner BMP initiatives implemented by the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, James River Association, and Thomas Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District.
The afternoon session included two breakout sessions. Attendees had three topics to chose from per session. Topics included technical assistance for homeowners, addressing water quality at the state level, environmental education, invasive species and litter control, small scale agriculture, and stormwater retrofit implementation.
The meeting concluded with a panel discussion of stormwater management with representatives from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, Town of Ashland, Campbell County, and City of Richmond.
Click here to download presentations from the meeting.
This event could not have occurred without assistance from MJRT Executive & Steering Committee members, Planning Committee volunteers, session moderators, Henricopolis SWCD staff, VCU Life Sciences staff, Lorne Field and Michelle Kokolis (who donated rain barrels for the raffle), and meeting attendees.
We look forward to seeing you all at the MJRT 2015 Annual Meeting!
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Have you liked the P.U.P Club page on Facebook?
Check out the page to receive coupons from our sponsors and updates on the campaign!
 What is the P.U.P. Club? P.U.P. stands for Pick Up Poop. The P.U.P. Club was formed by the Richmond Regional Pet Waste Committee as a way to recognize pet owners that are doing their part by picking up after pets and properly disposing of the waste.
The goal of the Richmond Regional Pet Waste Committee is to educate the public about the environmental impacts of pet waste and the importance of picking up after pets. The committee also aims to create uniformity in the information on pet waste that is being spread by the localities in the Richmond area. Committee representatives include state and local government, non-profits and other constituent groups in the Richmond, Virginia metropolitan area. The committee was formed in response to many of the area's rivers and streams being impaired by bacteria, including bacteria from pet waste.
Watershed Announcements & Events
Annual Chesapeake Forest Champion contest
(Nominations due: August 4, 2014)
The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay with support from the U.S. Forest Service is soliciting nominations for their annual Chesapeake Forest Champions contest. Forests provide clean water and air, wildlife habitat, recreational opportunities, and a host of other benefits to all people.
The purpose of this contest is to recognize the outstanding efforts of groups and individuals from around the bay watershed to conserve, restore, and celebrate Chesapeake forests in 2014. The contest is open to all including landowners, community groups, nonprofits, forestry and natural resource professionals, schools, youth organizations, businesses, public agencies and others working in rural, suburban and urban areas. Basically, if you know any group or individual who is doing outstanding work for forests, as a volunteer or professional, nominate them.
A nomination form can be found at the link below. Download it to your computer before filling it out. The nomination must be submitted toForestsforthebay@gmail.com by August 4th. Winners will be recognized at the annual Chesapeake Watershed Forum on Friday, September 26th, in Shepherdstown, WV. Registration, food and lodging expenses at the Forum will be covered for contest awardees. Nominations submitted for the last two contests will automatically be considered for 2014. www.forestryforthebay.org/files/ChesForChamp_2014.pdf
Webcast: Stormwater Offset and Banking to Encourage Smart Growth and
Meet Water Quality Goals
(August 6, 2014, 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.)
Stormwater offset and banking programs are an avenue for local governments and states to support their water quality goals. This webcast explores this issue to include decades of research on the topic, recent case studies that demonstrate the usefulness of stormwater offsets and banking programs, and provides tips for communities to implement the findings. Join us to discuss our experience with stormwater offsets and banking programs and hear from the experts in the field. This webcast focuses on the Chesapeake Bay area.1.5 PDHcredits are available for this webcast.
Speakers include:
- Bill Stack, P.E., Deputy Director of Programs, Center for Watershed Protection, Inc. (Ellicott City, MD)
- Daniel Nees, Senior Research Associate, Environmental Finance Center, University of Maryland (College Park, MD)
- Joe Battiata, P.E., Senior Water Resources Engineer, Center for Watershed Protection, Inc. (Richmond, VA)
Register now for this FREE webcast!
Call for Posters: Chesapeake Watershed Forum
(Deadline: August 8, 2014, Forum: September 27, 2014, Shepherdstown, West Virginia)
Posters should focus on answering a question or reporting the results of a projectrelated to restoration, protection, or citizen awareness or engagement in Chesapeake Bay activities. Posters will be judged by peers, and "Best Poster Awards" will be given. For more information and to submit, visit https://allianceforthebay.org/our-work/engaging-local-communities/chesapeake-watershed-forum/poster-contest/. For questions or more information, contact Rebecca Wertime at chesforum@allianceforthebay.org. Sponsored by Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay.
Central Virginia Master Naturalists Basic Training Course
(Fall 2014, Lynchburg, Virginia)
The Central Virginia Chapter will be holding a Basic Training Course in the Fall of 2014 probably beginning in Sept and meeting one night per week with some field trips on weekends. The exact details will be announced as soon as confirmed. The purpose of the basic training is to prepare participants for volunteering as Master Naturalists in our community and establishing a base of natural resource volunteers. Applications for the training can be downloaded by following the link below or may be obtained by emailing our BTC Coordinator Amy French.The cost for the training is $100 plus a required dues for 2015 in the amount of $20 for a total of $120.
Payment arrangements or partial scholarships may be available. Please note your needs on your application. Download the application here.
Submit application and fees to:
Central Virginia Master Naturalist
PO Box 6
Lynchburg, VA 24505
EPA Launches Third Annual Campus RainWorks Challenge
(Registration Begins September 2, 2014)
EPA has launched the third annual Campus RainWorks Challenge, a green infrastructure design challenge for college and university students. Student teams, working with a faculty advisor, will submit design boards, a project narrative, and a letter of support describing a proposed green infrastructure project for a location on their campus. Registration opens September 2 and ends October 3. Registrants must submit their entries by December 19. Winning teams will earn a student prize of $1,000-$2,000 to be divided evenly among student team members, and a faculty prize of $2,000-$3,000 to support green infrastructure research or training. More information: www.epa.gov/campusrainworks.
James River Regional Cleanup - Registration Now Open
(September 13, 2014, various sites)
Join the James River Advisory Council (JRAC) as they come together as a community to clean up the James River watershed. The 15th Annual James River Regional Cleanup will be Saturday, September 13. Each year, hundreds of volunteers make the cleanup a success. They collect hundreds of bags of trash and recyclable materials. JRAC invites you to be a part of this tremendous regional effort! Registration is easy. Select from a list of official James River Regional Cleanup sites, complete the online registration (Spanish registration also available) and show up Saturday, September 13. Sign-in will begin at 8:30 a.m., and refreshments will be provided between noon and 1 p.m. This annual event is open to individuals, families, groups, boaters and paddlers! Bring water and gloves and wear closed-toe shoes.
CLEANUP REGISTRATION
SPANISH REGISTRATION
JRAC looks forward to seeing you Saturday, September 13!
Strategic Conservation Planning Using a Green Infrastructure Approach
(September 15-18, 2014, Shepherdstown, WV)
Urban conservation, sustainable cities, landscape-scale mitigation, and increased resiliency to severe weather events - what do they all have in common? The use of green infrastructure principles and concepts as their foundation! This highly acclaimed 4-day course continues to evolve as the needs of society change. As a result, this course now encompasses developing a planning framework for conservation and development at all scales - urban, regional, and landscape!
Through hands-on class projects, lectures, and numerous case studies, participants will experience firsthand how the green infrastructure approach can be used to connect environmental, social, and economic health across urban, suburban, and rural settings. Participants will also learn how green infrastructure planning can serve as a tool to inform land use decisions and build consensus among diverse interests.
Registration Deadline: August 15th
This course is offered by the Conservation Fund. For more information and to register, go to the Course Web Page.
Workshop: Evaluating and Conserving Natural Assets: Planning for Green Infrastructure in the Developing and Urban Landscape
(September 18, 2014 (10 a.m. - 4 p.m.) or November 20, 2014, Charlottesville, Virginia)
This workshop will focus on learning how to conserve or restore the green infrastructure of towns, cities, countries, and regions and discovering tools to evaluate and utilize landscape features to create both vibrant environments and economies at multiple scales. Planners can receive 5.5 CM credits, and other professional credits are also available, such as forestry and horticulture. To register, visit http://www.gicinc.org/events.htm. For more information, contact gicworkshop@gmail.com. Sponsored by the Green Infrastructure Center (GIC).
Rivanna River Sojourn
(October 18, 2014)
The Rivanna Conservation Society, Blue Ridge Mountain Sports and their partners are hosting a professionally guided, family friendly paddle along the beautiful Rivanna River.
Fall Float - Saturday, October 18th:
Palmyra to Columbia (the confluence of the James river, with lunch at Hell's Bend Farm (16 miles)
Visit www.rivannariver.org for more information.
Watershed Educational Activity Sheets & MJRT Beverage Coasters
are available!
The Roundtable has a limited number of James River Watershed Educational Activity Sheets available at no charge. The activity sheets educate children and adults about watersheds and pollution prevention. They display a watershed illustration that can be colored by kids and a variety of puzzles and activities. We have distributed tens of thousands of sheets to organizations throughout the James River watershed. One of the main goals of this project is to reach a diverse audience. If you are interested in distributing the sheets in your community please consider a variety of venues! In order to obtain activity sheets please contact info@mjrt.org. To view the activity sheet, please click here.
The same Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund Grant used to design our activity sheets also supported to the reprinting of our popular beverage coasters. The beverage coasters contain 5 ways to help the James River. To view the beverage coaster and its contents, please click here.
More information about the James River Watershed Educational Activity Sheets and Beverage Coasters can be found on our featured projects page. |