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Potomac River Island Just Outside Washington, D.C. Donated to The Nature Conservancy

Ten-acre Offutt Island is home to rare species and natural communities 

BETHESDA, MD — July 12, 2007 — The Nature Conservancy announced today that a donor has given Offutt Island, a 10-acre island located in the heart of the Potomac River Gorge, to the global conservation group.  The Potomac Gorge is the 15-mile river corridor from Great Falls to Georgetown, one of the most biologically rich natural areas in the Eastern United States. 

Offutt Island (view a video of the Island) is habitat for a number of rare plant species and natural communities. Offutt Island also supports a variety of rare or significant habitat types including riverside

The Conservancy will manage Offutt Island as a nature preserve. The Conservancy also owns or co-owns two other islands in the Potomac Gorge: Conn Island just above Great Falls and Bear Island is co-owned with the National Park Service. Bear Island is the site of the popular Billy Goat Trail Section A.  Offutt Island is one of the few privately owned islands in the Gorge; most other islands are owned and managed by the National Park Service or State of Maryland.

“The donor’s gift and support to The Nature Conservancy will enable us to continue our good conservation work in the Potomac Gorge, collaborating with public and private partners  to protect and restore the area’s natural resources for plants, animals and people,” said Stephanie Flack, the Conservancy’s Potomac Gorge Project director. “The natural areas and biological resources of the Potomac River Gorge are critical to the quality of life in our region by contributing to air and water quality and providing recreational escape from the hustle and bustle of city life.”

The Nature Conservancy’s conservation work in the Gorge dates back more than 50 years, to when the organization helped the National Park Service protect portions of Great Falls Park in Virginia. Since 2000, the Conservancy has worked with the National Park Service and other partners to develop and implement a science-based conservation plan for the area, focusing our work on the highest priority ecological management and restoration needs, public education, volunteer projects, and outreach, and land and resource protection needs in the Gorge. The National Park Service holds a scenic easement over Offutt Island, which was recorded in 1969.

Despite its urban location, the Potomac Gorge, which extends 15 miles from Great Falls to Key Bridge, is one of the most significant natural areas in the eastern United States. Last year, an event jointly sponsored by the Nature Conservancy and the National Park Service called the Potomac Gorge Bioblitz—involving more than 130 field biologists and volunteers—counted more than 1,250 species during a 30-hour, round-the-clock survey of historically understudied species groups in the Gorge. The final results of the Bioblitz will be published later this year in Virginia’s natural history journal, Banisteria.

Over the coming months, the Conservancy will develop guidelines for ecological management and low-impact recreational and educational use of the preserve. The island can be reached by kayak or canoe, but the Potomac is a wild river and requires knowledge and skill to paddle safely. Before visiting the island, please contact the Nature Conservancy’s Maryland/DC chapter office at 301-897-8570. 

Visitors should follow “Leave No Trace” sensitive recreational use principles, such as “Plan ahead and know before you go,” “Stick to trails,” “Leave it as you find it,” and “Pack it in and pack it out” (for more information, please visit lnt.org). To protect the health of the Offutt Island preserve and ensure the safety of all visitors, the following activities are not allowed: collecting plants, animals, rocks or other natural materials; smoking, camping, fires or cookouts; bringing dogs or other pets to the preserve; hunting; releasing animals or introducing plants; and disposing of trash or other waste, including biodegradable materials.  Swimming and wading in this stretch of the Potomac is illegal.  Commercial use of Offutt Island is not permitted by the terms of the federal easement and Montgomery County regulations.

More information on The Nature Conservancy’s work in the Potomac Gorge is available at nature.org/maryland.

The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 15 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 102 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.