Nature Conservancy Applauds Congressional Support for Potomac Gorge Environmental Restoration Project

BETHESDA, Maryland—August 3, 2005—The Nature Conservancy applauded members of the Maryland Congressional delegation Tuesday for appropriating $500,000 for environmental restoration work in the Potomac Gorge. The funds will be used to mitigate Federal roads-related environmental degradation in the Potomac Gorge by mapping and controlling invasive species that are spread by roads, and to develop improved floodplain maps that will help protect Federal and county parkland, roads, and other infrastructure.

The Potomac Gorge, the fifteen-mile river corridor from Great Falls to Theodore Roosevelt Island, is considered one of the most biologically significant natural areas in the eastern United States. This 10,000-acre area of the Potomac River supports more than 200 rare species and natural communities, and is one of the most ecologically diverse areas in Maryland, Virginia and the region.

“While much of the Potomac Gorge is in public parkland, its exceptional natural areas are seriously threatened by the many damaging effects of roads, from stormwater runoff to habitat fragmentation to the spread of invasive species,” said Nathaniel Williams, state director and executive vice president of The Nature Conservancy in Maryland/DC. “This appropriation will help provide support needed to restore degraded areas along the Gorge. It will benefit one of our nation’s highest priority conservation areas, and help towards protecting water quality in the Potomac River and Chesepeake Bay. We commend Senators Paul Sarbanes and Barbara Mikulski for including this project in the transportation bill.”

“The environmental health of the Potomac Gorge is important to the well-being of the entire Washington Metropolitan Area,” said Sen. Paul Sarbanes. “This funding provides some of the needed resources for restoration efforts within the Gorge and helps to maintain the overall health of the Chesapeake Bay.”

“The Potomac Gorge is our heritage – it’s part of who we are as Marylanders,” said Senator Barbara A. Mikulski. “That’s why I am proud to work in the Senate with my colleague, Senator Sarbanes, to put money in the federal checkbook that builds our communities and protects our environment. We want future generations to be able to enjoy the natural beauty Maryland has to offer.”

Congress approved the Transportation bill and signature by the President is expected in August. This appropriation provides an excellent opportunity for coordination between the Maryland State Highway Administration and the National Park Service for environmental restoration in the Potomac Gorge.

The Potomac Gorge encompasses 9,700 acres in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia. The Nature Conservancy and the National Park Service have collaborated for five years to develop and implement a comprehensive conservation plan for the Potomac Gorge, identifying the top threats and most effective strategies to address them.

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The Nature Conservancy is a leading international, nonprofit organization that preserves plants, animals and natural communities representing the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive. To date, the Conservancy and its nearly one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 14 million acres in the United States—including more than 60,000 acres in Maryland—and have helped preserve more than 102 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. Visit us on the Web at nature.org/maryland.