The river symposium highlights ongoing work to protect the Rappahannock watershed

Bryan Hofmann of Friends of the Rappahannock introduces a Virginia Tech pilot program for backyard stream erosion. (Photo by Kathy Knotts)

Federal, state and local partners who make up the Rappahannock River Roundtable gathered Wednesday at the Woolen Mill in Fredericksburg for the fourth annual Rappahannock River Symposium.

The day-long event provides those working land and water within the watershed the opportunity to hear from other agencies and organizations about the programs they offer and learn about new projects and techniques. It serves as a collaborative approach to protecting, conserving and understanding the ecological issues facing the region.

Friends of the Rappahannock (FOR) serves as both host and financial agent for the roundtable, which is comprised of agencies such as the Department of Environmental Quality, the Department of Forestry, soil and water conservation districts in the region, and planning districts across the region, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Rappahannock Tribe, various land trusts and other organizations committed to land and water quality and conservation.

“Our roundtable follows the collective impact model,” said Bryan Hofmann, deputy director of FOR. “We are following the Phase III Watershed Implementation Plan that was jointly prepared by all of our Soil and Water Conservation Districts and all of our Planning Districts. There was this robust stakeholder engagement process that everyone participated in and we got this plan across the country.”

With this plan, agencies and groups are working to reduce pollution in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. It explains everything that needs to be done to reduce sediment, nitrogen and phosphorus polluting the water, and how to protect wildlife habitat and the plants and animals that live in the bay.

“The roundtable partners therefore agree that we should or can work to achieve these goals,” said Hofmann. “First and foremost, however, it is not an interest group. There are no political discussions. The mission is to advance land and water conservation in this watershed.”

Virginia DEQ Director Mike Rolband gave the opening remarks to the group, highlighting some of the agency’s successes in the region. He said DEQ has provided the Rappahannock Roundtable with over $100,000 in Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) implementation funds to fund installation projects using best management practices. Rolband also highlighted professional regional training in the Chesapeake Bay landscape that the Roundtable and the George Washington Regional Commission achieved thanks to a DEQ grant.

DEQ was also involved in the pollution investigation that led to the closure of the Wilderness Water Treatment Plant in Orange County in August. Rolband also provided an overview of the approval process for Caroline County is withdrawing water from the Rappahannock River.

Smaller sessions focused on specific programs and projects, such as a new riparian forest buffer action plan, funding for implementation plans to combat nonpoint source pollution, river monitoring programs, and several programs for landowners and farmers who want to protect their land and water for future generations .

“It all started with us trying to achieve more collaboration,” Hofmann said. “The Rappahannock watershed is very linear. “So if you work near Shenandoah National Park, you may have no idea that people 100 and 80 miles away in the Northern Neck are doing relatively similar work, and vice versa.”

Hofmann estimated that it was the largest symposium to date with over 150 participants. “Seeing new people, new organizations, young and old and taking part is how we measure our success.”

Just days before the symposium began, FOR and the Rappahannock Tribe announced they had received several grants and contracts for urban and community forestry projects along the Rappahannock River watershed.

More than $1 million in new grants have been made available to support tree planting projects with a particular focus on disadvantaged communities, tribal lands and regions vulnerable to climate change.

“These projects will directly address concerns raised by recent studies of urban heat islands, help mitigate flooding and pollution from stormwater runoff, provide valuable wildlife habitat, and a wide range of other ecosystem services,” said Sarah Dishman, FOR Urban and Community Forestry Specialist.

The latest award provides $300,000 from the Arbor Day Foundation’s Community Roots grant to support work on the Rappahannock Tribe’s newly acquired ancestral lands in the Northern Neck.

“Specifically, this grant will continue the tribe’s vision for ecosystem restoration on its reclaimed Pissacoack property,” said Rappahannock Chief Anne Richardson.

These projects will take place over the next two years, starting this month and running through December 2026.

Funding for these projects comes in part from the Inflation Reduction Act and the USDA Forest Service, Urban, and Community Forestry Program in collaboration with the Arbor Day Foundation.

Additional funding is provided by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the George Washington Regional Commission through a grant from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, and multiple grants from the Virginia Department of Forestry, and private foundation support.