POLAND: PARTNERSHIPS EXCHANGE

POLAND: PARTNERSHIPS EXCHANGE
DRAFT OUTLINE 9-29-02
J. Glenn Eugster
National Park Service

EXCHANGE Goals:
presenting the methodology and tools for building partnerships
reflecting on motivations for cross-sector partnerships
sharing experiences through presentations of “partnerships in action”—case studies from Central European countries


Thursday (10 October 2002)

Morning
Introduction
What are cross-sector partnerships- some theory
The key concepts
Methodology of building partnerships
Experiences from the U.S. and U.K.
The Polish approach: the Polish Local Partnerships Network of the Polish Environmental Partnership Foundation


I. THEORY

PERSONAL THEORY:

EDUCATION + EXPERIENCE + RESEARCH + CONTEXT = BEST PRACTICE.

FORUMLAS:

OVERVIEW:
How do you think decisions are made? What are the ingredients of a good decision? What is your role in the decision-making process? How do things work?

PARTNERSHIPS & CONSERVATION MUST BE EXAMINED WITHIN A HOLLISTIC CONTEXT. THE LANDSCAPE, INCLUDING IT’S LIVING RESOURCES AND PEOPLE, HAVE INFORMATION YOU NEED TO DESIGN SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIPS.

THEORIES & PRACTICE:
Who did you learn from? My early influences were:
n Hubert Owens, UGA--Civic design and planning
n Phil Lewis, UWisconsin
n Lawrence Halprin, Take Part
n Ian McHarg, Design With Nature
n Ervin Zube, UAZ Scenic Evaluations
Jon Berger, Human Ecology and the Regional Plan

LATER, MY INFLUENCES HAVE BEEN SHAPED BY

RALPH NADER, AND IS ADVOCACY
FRANCES SEYMOUR, DESIGN AND DISCOVERY
CHRIS DURNEY, COMPLEX ADAPTIVE SYSTEMS
RICHARD WAKEFORD, “GIVE IT AWAY”
SIM VA DER RYN AND STUART COWAN, ECOLOGICAL DESIGN


Models/ Methods:

A formula for understanding how a place, or a culture, works; man’s relationship with nature; and how this understanding can help you provide better information to decision-makers.

What model do you use? Personal model is an important part of your practice. Whether you know it or not, you have one. (Slide A)

Eugster 1979 Model:

ZUME (Zube + McHarg + Eugster = ZUME)

ETOWAH RIVER 2001 MODEL:


Other More Recognized Models:

n McHarg: Layer Cake of Reality (Slide B)

n RIVERWORK: National Park Service Rivers Assistance Program (Slide C)

n Watershed Protection Approach: EPA Office of Water (Slide D)

n CBEP: Community-Based Environmental Protection Approach (Slide E)

WHAT IS YOUR MODEL?

n Yours’: Sketch it on one page and,or explain it to someone!
II. KEY CONCEPTS

Partnership Definition:

The NPS Partnership Council describes partnerships as “voluntary relationships through which each member of the relationship advances its own mission by working collaboratively with others to achieve congruent and overlapping objectives”.


Workgroup members believe that partnerships are created and used to:

h Improve and, or, sustain resource conditions.

· Improve service to the community by developing programs,
providing new opportunities to experience the parks, and other important places in communities.

· Encourage collaboration among park and recreation systems
at every level--international, federal, regional, state, local--to make the nations park, open space, historic place and outdoor recreation network accessible to all.

· Supplement funds appropriated by Congress, through the
assistance of the National Park Foundation, friends groups and other public and private sources.

· Build the capacity of all partners to shape their own
futures.

· Recognize parks as unique places for research and
learning.

· Communicate to residents and visitors alike about the
extensive system of State, local, National parks and conservation areas and how those resources directly impact the quality of their life.

· Inform and motivate the public to help ensure long-term
protection of resources under the care of the parks in this local, state, Tribal, and federal system of parks and conservation areas.

· Assist communities with the preservation of historic
places, open space, natural areas, and recreation resources outside of the national parks through a variety of partnership-based programs.






PARTNERSHIPS ARE LIKE THE LANDSCAPE THAT THEY ARE APPLIED TO.

D.W.MEINING WROTE,”THE BEHOLDING EYE: TEN VERSIONS OF THE

SAME SCENE” AND SAID, “THAT EVEN THOUGH WE GATHER TOGETHER

AND LOOK IN THE SAME DIRECTION AT THE SAME INSTANT, WE WILL

NOT—WE CANNOT—SEE THE SAME LANDSCAPE. WE WILL SEE MANY OF

THE SAME ELEMENTS, BUT SUCH FACTS TAKE ON MEANING ONLY

THROUGH ASSOCIATION; THEY MUST BE FITTED TOGETHER ACCORDING

TO SOME COHERENT BODY OF IDEAS”.

MEINING WENT FURTHER TO SAY, “ANY LANDSCAPE IS COMPOSED NOT

ONLY OF WHAT LIES BEFORE YOUR EYES BUT WHAT LIES WITHIN OUR

HEADS”.


INTERESTING PAPER. IT COMPARES TEN SCENES OF THE SAME VIEW

OF THE LANDSCAPE.



Ten Views of Landscapes

As nature
Habitat
Artifact
Ecosystem
People
Ideology
History
Recreation
Place
Aesthetic


THE SAME PERSPECTIVE IS RELEVANT PARTNERSHIPS.



PLACE-BASED AND PROCESS Assumptions ARE IMPORTANT TO CLARIFY, CONFIRM OR AGREE UPON AT THE OUTSET OF ANY COLLABORATION:


A watershed conservation strategy must be based on certain assumptions that you recognize and agree on. These assumptions form the basis for your strategy and the principles that you adhere to throughout your work.

Based on a variety of conservation experiences in watersheds throughout the U.S. the following are examples of watershed principles. Sample techniques are listed to help illustrate, or serve as an information source for each principle.

‚ Principle 1: The process must be locally led, open to the public, objective and inclusive.

Technique: Dialogue is a technique used to meet each other below our opinions. It relies on story, skill and experience. The core requirements for Dialogue are: 1) treating the other(s) as equal in every respect; 2) being willing and able to listen and respond empathically; and 3) being willing to bring one's own and others' assumptions into the open without judgement.

Reference: Martin, Daniel, Core Requirements for Dialogue, Interview with Anne and Andrew Pearson, Edgewater, (aplace@toad.net) MD 1999

‚ Principle 2: All partners are equally important.

Technique: Everyone is a designer! "Listen to everyone in the design process. No one is a participant only or a designer only: Everyone is a participant-designer. Honor the special knowledge that each person brings".

Reference: Cowan, Stuart, and others, Ecological Design, Island Press, Washington, DC, 1996

‚ Principle 3: All environmental, community and economic values must be recognized.

Technique: Mulitobjective: "To encourage comprehensive and cooperative planning among all individuals and institutions concerned with rivers and their adjacent lands, to facilitate decisions regarding such use which reflect a high degree of
consensus at all stages of decision making, which maximize public and private benefits with the least adverse impacts on significant river/ watershed values".

Reference: Riley, Ann, L., Restoring Streams in Cities: A Guide for Planners, Policymakers, and Citizens, Island Press, Washington, DC, 1998

‚ Principle 4: The process must be consensus-based and agreement should be secured at the beginning, and at every major decision-making point in the process. Deciding what action to take to conserve a river, a watershed, and specific sites within it requires a process--an equation, to decide what actions should be taken; by who; and how.

Technique: RIVERWORK BOOK: A reference manual for local watershed planning efforts. It presents a process that emphasizes citizen participation, networking and constituency building to develop grassroots river conservation efforts. The process encourages communities to consider a variety of factors and alternatives before choosing the best way to protect their river and watershed.

Reference: Eugster, J. Glenn, others, RIVERWORK Book, U.S. National Park Service, Philadelphia, PA, 1988

Arnold, Matthew, B., and others, The Power of Environmental Partnerships, Management Institute for Environment & Business, The Dryden Press, Austin, Texas, 1995

Principle 5: Recognize and build upon existing traditions of stewardship, partnerships, consensus building and community initiative.

Technique: Discovery: Refers to efforts to identify and support conservation activities initiated by communities themselves. Project discoverers assume that appropriate local resource management regimes already exist and that the role of external actors is to assist in legitimizing them

Reference: Seymour, Frances, J., Are Successful Community-based Conservation Projects Designed or Discovered? Natural Connections, Island Press, Washington, DC, 1994

‚ Principle 6: Ultimately local governments make local decisions. All watersheds are local.

Home rule is a fundamental part of any watershed conservation strategy. Local officials are elected to represent different parts of the watershed and they have been empowered to make decisions about the future of the area. They must be involved in all aspects of the strategy for it to be successful.

Principle 7: Private property must be respected and recognized as a legitimate watershed value.

Technique: Private landowners value land in many different ways. In addition to using their land as a place to live, many landowners enjoy the natural and cultural resource values of their property for recreation purposes or to enhance the quality of their lives. Private landowners also value their land as an economic investment and source of income. Various conservation guides provide landowners with information on government and private sector programs and assistance they may be eligible for should their land possess certain values.

Reference: Wesley-Copeland, Jorie, Private Landowner's Wetlands Assistance Guide: Voluntary Options for Wetlands Stewardship in Maryland, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC 1992.

Johnson, Andrew, A Handbook for the Landowner: The Use and Protection of Privately Held Natural Lands, The Natural Lands Trust, Inc. Media, PA, 1982


III. APPROACHES TO BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS


Elements of Watershed Conservation Strategies

Although each watershed conservation strategy should be tailored to the ecological, sociological, political environment of a particular place the typical elements to be considered are:

1. Develop a Pre-Planning Strategy
It's important to hold initial discussions with key leaders in order to introduce the idea, assess the amount of interest there is in pursuing the conservation effort, and if support exists, outline the approach to be used. Always summarize the understanding in writing.

Technique: Memorandum of Agreement are regularly used to agree on key parties; role and function of each party; project goals; reason for the effort; public involvement opportunities; products; individual partner assignments; a conceptual description of how decision making will be handled; and a schedule.

2. Select a Leadership-Style
Typically there is a small core group of sponsoring organizations that organize the effort. Eventually a locally appointed Steering Committee will lead the effort and local coordinators and State government assistance will be required. The group will work best if there is a balance of private sector and government involvement.

Technique: In South Carolina a statewide watershed effort selected steering committee representatives to reflect all of the major values (i.e. farms, timber management areas; natural areas; etc.)

Identify, Understand and Characterize Resource Values
What are the natural, historic, cultural, recreational, tourism, economic, and other values which are important to the area, people, and living resources? How do they function? Where are they? What opportunities and constraints do they offer for future uses of the watershed?

Technique: There are many ways to identify important watershed values and functions. Successful efforts typically rely on good science and good civics. What areas do the scientists believe to be important to the health of the watershed and what are the opportunities and constraints for the use of these values? What areas do the different groups and interests, who care most about certain values (i.e. fish, forests, farms, etc.), believe are most important?

Reference: Thompson, George, E., Steiner, R. Frederick, Ecological Design and Planning, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. New York, NY 1997

Eugster, Glenn, J. Statewide River Assessments, U.S. National Park Service, Philadelphia, PA 1986


4. Identify who are the groups, agencies and organizations interested in these values and functions.

Technique: River Gods Analysis. Describe, by major river/ watershed value, the key private groups and government watershed-based organizations with representatives who speak for the river, its watershed, and the people and living resources that own, govern, use and enjoy it.

Reference: Eugster, Glenn, J., The River Gods, National Park Service, National Capital Region, Washington, D.C. October 2000

5. Involve a broad cross-section of interested individuals and organizations in all aspects of your planning and decision making

Technique: Public involvement is a primary means of building support and developing a constituency for the watershed conservation effort. The value of public involvement lies in the sponsor of the effort sharing responsibility with the communities, residents and interests who will influence the success or failure of the effort.

Reference: Eugster, Glenn, J. Steps in State & Local Greenway Conservation Plans: Public Involvement Plan Guidelines, U.S. National Park Service, Philadelphia, PA 1988.

6. Describe the General Goals & Objectives

Technique: Goals are a means of guiding you toward specific accomplishments and of keeping you on track as you proceed. What does success look like to you and others? Start by asking key leaders, and others, what they think success will look like after one or two years of your effort?

Reference: RIVERWORK Book (see Principle #4)


7. Identify and Assess the Needs, Concerns and Issues

Technique: Normally different interests have different values and ideas about the future of the watershed. These local interests or issues are at the heart of watershed conservation and need to be recognized, described and briefly analyzed during the project.

Reference: RIVERWORK Book (see Principle #4)

8. Refine Goals & Objectives and Establish Measures of Success

Technique: Goals are based on resources values and functions and issues or matters of concern. Goals should be refined now to build on what you did in task #6 and to incorporate what you've learned from task #3 (values and functions) and #7. (needs, concerns and issues). This task helps to create consensus out of contrasting opinions, and to involve all the interests in the decision-making process.

Once the goals have been refined it is helpful to identify the specific environmental and organizational measures of success for each goal. This will enable you to measure your progress.

References: _______________, Measures of Success-Unpublished Discussion Paper, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, undated.


9. Consider All Alternatives
How can values be protected or promoted, issues resolved, and goals be achieved? What ideas do people have? What programs, tools, techniques, laws, and approaches are available? Where do you start looking?

Technique: Eugster, Glenn, J., Conservation Programs, Tools, Techniques & Resources, Prepared for The Conservation Fund's Land Conservation Training Course, Duke University, 1998.

Select Actions
Most people get involved with watershed conservation because they either want to keep things the same or get something accomplished. Action is key to watershed conservation!

Technique: What actions need to be taken? Who will take the action? How will the action be taken? When will the action be taken? The actions selected should:

a Conserve values
a Achieve goals
a Resolve issues
a Consider appropriate alternatives
a Reflect public attitudes
a Identify short and long-term actions
a Achieve desired results

Take Action
Select both short and long-term actions to carryout your strategy. Starting small and building incrementally creates momentum toward larger goals and visions.

Technique: The Pocomoke River Alliance in Maryland decided that they need to do something real to help get their new watershed group off the ground. They decided to create a Nature & Exercise Trail on some City land adjacent to the Pocomoke River. The project helped establish the group, raise funds, provide important public access to the river and increase regional awareness about the Alliance's work.

Document, Publicize & Celebrate Results
The success of any watershed conservation effort rests in its ability to demonstrate results. Measuring and publicizing tangible results is key to sustaining leadership commitment and public support. Track your progress and publicize results!

Technique: How is the river doing? Each year Maryland Representative Bernie Fowler uses his "Sneaker Index" to measure water quality on the Patuxent River. Other private organizations often hold a "River Day" celebration each year to go over results, and commitments, and recognize success. The Friends of the Potomac, for example, give six awards each year to recognize results.

Evaluate Progress and Refine Strategy
Periodically refine the strategy based on what you learn and current conditions.















IV. EXPERIENCES

Delmarva Peninsula: Community-Based Approaches to Environmental Protection
Glenn Eugster, NPS/ EPA Potomac American Heritage River

Summary:

Background:

Local initiative trends
Locally-driven efforts recognized.
Convergence of thinking about the need to link science and democracy; and environment, human ecology and economic activity.
c. Context. Tyranny of small decisions or the tyranny of small solutions. Adaptive strategies, the edge of chaos.


2. Community-Based Models:
Assistance Requests and Approaches
Requests versus what you do. Your agenda; Their agenda; Our agenda
Service responses: Money, technical advise; information and quiet enabling leadership. Hierarchy change to matrix management.
Increased interest in matching National priorities with local priorities.
Approaches and tools: Organizational; community; position; tools/ resources; language


3. Approaches, Tools & Techniques:
a. Design/ Tools tested outside the area:
--Watershed Protection Approach
--Community-Based Environmental Protection
--Riverwork
--Green Communities

b. Discovery/ Tools developed inside the area :
--Performance Based criteria (i.e. SDCG grants, CBEP Fund)
--Community Builders of HUD
--River Navigator, American Heritage Rivers
--Complex Adaptive Systems (i.e. ICF Kaiser Consulting Group; Eastward Ho!)


Case Study: Delmarva Peninsula

Regional Resources:
Chesapeake and Delaware Bay watersheds and Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Flyway for migratory and neo-tropics
Productive agricultural lands
Wetlands and remnants of Southern Cypress swamps
e. Culture: Chesapeake Country, Beautiful Swimmers, etc.

Issues and Matters of Public Concern:
Struggling agriculture, shellfish, finfish and transportation economies
Agriculture, wetlands and water quality conflicts
Race relations
Resource value, amenity and quality of life attractions
Strong home rule, locally-driven interests

Design and Discovery Process
a.Design: Externally designed approaches/ methods to respond to internally or externally identified goals, or problems. Project design assumes that existing approaches are less-than-adequate to solve problems or achieve objectives. Outside leadership given prominence.

b.Discovery: Locally developed and initiated conservation approaches/ methods. Assumes that local ideas and activities exist which can be used to achieve goals or respond to problems. Outside interests assist and or legitimize community efforts and ideas.


Delmarva Experience and Results: “Fish-Bone” Chart

Sequence:

a. Region recognized for values and functions related to agency priorities
b.Request from Mayor of Pocomoke City
Discussion with Lower Eastern Shore Mayor’s group
Field visit to discuss needs/ services
Proposal to local officials for assistance
Program support sought (i.e. federal funds, wetlands grant, NPS-RTCA Program, State of MD, others)

Inputs:
Portion of federal staff person’s time and travel funds
Small EPA Wetlands Protection grant for ecotourism ($25,000)
Small EPA Chesapeake Bay Program grant for seed grants ($22,000)
Printing documents

Results:
Communication: Workshops, forums, newsletters, alliances, steering committees.
Technical Assistance: Capacity building, grants, referrals, peer exchanges, project design.
Recognition: Designations, documentation of values, attitudes, goals
Research: Community forums, expert presentations, natural resource histories, new approaches/ technologies
Planning: Strategic plans, business plans for leadership groups, local priorities, Conservation, protection and action: Hotels preserved; wetlands purchased; tourism centers opened; nature trails created; habitat protected;
Problem Solving: charettes for collaborative problem solving, revision of Agency approaches to protection


Lessons Learned

Principles

Agreement on resource values comes first
Familiarity with region (i.e. listen and learn before talking. Their interests come before yours)
Timing and readiness
Regions knowledge of and fit with the person (i.e. style, experience level, entry, perception of motivation, etc.)
e. Follow-through (i.e. service, leadership
f. Not about money but rather support and agreement.
g. Put yourself in a position to be in a position to make a difference.


Conclusion

Community-based and locally-driven processes are advancing to another level quickly.
New skills and attitudes required for supporting locally-driven efforts.
Link with agency/ National goals and local goals is key.
Considerable resistance to matrix management
Funding tends to assume that partnerships are formed and local capability exists
Results far exceed investments and will leverage significant non-federal contributions.
Everyone is a participant and a designer—and the outsiders and insiders educate each others on how these approaches work.




































Afternoon
Workshop I: Why do we need each other?
v Identifying the role of each sector in the partnership
Public sector
Business
NGOs
Case study: Bochnia Region Partnership
v Working with the representatives of the three sectors.
Summing up afternoon workshop




WORKSHOP I: WHY DO WE NEED EACH OTHER?

WHY DO WE NEED PARTNERS?

Why Partnerships? There are many reasons why NPS staff and managers and their partners choose to work together to accomplish overlapping goals. In many cases partnerships will:

h Improve Effectiveness: Each partner will be better able to achieve its mission by working with a variety of other organizations and agencies to solve problems, share ideas, pool resources, and share responsibilities.

h Increase Efficiency: Partnerships can help share information and intentions to reduce the timeframe needed to implement critical plans, lower execution costs, and reduce expected resistance by affected stakeholders.

h Enhance Equity: Higher levels of participation through partnerships tend to improve the equity inherent in collaboration and enhance the perception of fairness and impartiality.

h Fulfill Missions More Effectively: Partnerships offer unique access to organizations that have similar interests.

h Gain Access to a Larger Resource Base: Working through partnerships gives each organization expanded access to resources of other partner organizations.

h Increase Predictability: Partnerships help avoid surprises and disputes that delay core operations or lead to litigation.

hIncrease Public Support: When partnerships expand participation to include others, the process and the partners tend to have more credibility with the public.

h Improve Employee Morale and Public Attitudes:
Partnerships that involve employees and employees, stakeholders, and other members of the public in the decision-making process enhance skills and morale of all participants, thus improving the performance of individuals, groups and agencies.


II. IDENTIFYING THE ROLE OF EACH SECTOR IN THE PARTNERSHIP?


TRADITIONAL ROLES VS COMPLEX ADAPTIVE SYSTEMS

TRADITIONAL ROLES: For the last three decades, the standard model for much federal action has been a national system of top-down control and regulation, with predictable, uniform implementation and enforcement. Effective for use with organizations with essentially similar designs, functions, and concerns, this system resulted in significant community, quality of life, and environmental improvements over the years and it is still the backbone of most of the core programs at federal agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency, the Departments of Energy, Housing and Urban Development, Agriculture, Transportation, Justice, Treasury, and the Federal Emergency Management Administration.
However, the achievement of additional societal and environmental gains now requires a new, complementary blueprint for federal involvement. Faced with a rapidly evolving electronic environment and the greater demand for partnerships and empowerment of local decision makers, the regulatory, deterministic approaches that have been employed up to now by many agencies are no longer sufficient.

COMPLEX ADAPTIVE SYSTEM: In a complex adaptive system, each part is an individual agent that acts in parallel with other agents to create a result that is greater than any of the individual parts. For instance, in South Florida’s Everglades initiative (in our evaluation window we looked at the period from 1995 – 1999, although the initiative continues to evolve today), multiple players¾dozens of local communities, five counties, multiple state and federal agencies (with both headquarters and regional offices), and a variety of not-for-profit organizations¾were coming together to achieve the goal of ensuring a healthy future for the Everglades and the economically thriving communities that surround it. Each of the players had their own vision and mission, their own reason for becoming involved in the initiative. In addition, various discrete “named” initiatives¾Eastward Ho!, Brownfields, Showcase Community, the Governor’s Commission, and so on¾also existed as independent agents within the larger Everglades movement with overlap of resources and people. And the social, economic, and environmental issues that must be addressed to ensure that the future of the Everglades is adequately addressed also have their own individual logic and structures that in turn are intricately interrelated with each other.
EXPERIENCES




The River Gods
Glenn Eugster, National Park Service, National Capital Region
October 12, 2000

In Dublin there is a Custom's House which has been designed with keystones which represent the principal rivers of Ireland. The keystones, which decorate the ground floor arches, are the thirteen principal rivers of Ireland, with the Atlantic Ocean thrown in for good measure. These keystones have come to be known as "The River Gods".

In the Potomac River watershed there are a number of key private groups and government watershed-based organizations with representatives who speak for the river, its watershed, and the people and living resources who own, govern, use and enjoy it.

Traditionally within the Potomac basin, as in many other river valleys, place-based groups have organized around various resource values, recreational activities, or land use or management activity. In some ways Potomac River groups have claimed certain specific values of the watershed as the focus of their organizations efforts.

These Potomac groups are important to any discussion about the past, present or future of the watershed because of the perspective they have and the local interests they represent. In some way these groups are the keystones of leadership in the Potomac River watershed. Their goals and interests represent the principal values of the Potomac. These values, and the groups that support them, can be viewed as The River Gods.

The principal values, and The River God organizations, of the Potomac River watershed, from the perspective of the Partnerships Office of NCR include:

· Land Conservation: Potomac Conservancy
· Heritage Tourism: Potomac Heritage Partnership, DC Heritage Tourism Coalition
· Heritage River: Friends of the Potomac, National Park Service
· Recreation Fishing: American Sportfishing Association, Bass Masters
· Hiking: Potomac National Scenic Heritage Trail Committee, Appalachian Trail Conference
· Recreation & Open Space: National Capital Planning Commission, Trust for Public Lands, Washington Parks for People
· Nature Protection: The Nature Conservancy
· Water Quality & Quantity: Interstate Commission for the Potomac River Basin, Potomac Basin Consortium
· Public Lands: National Park Service, Forest Service, Fish & Wildlife Service, etc.
· Agriculture: Farm Bureau
· Timber: ???
· Land Use Management: Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments
· Living Resources: Chesapeake Bay Program, Ducks Unlimited, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay
· Cultural Diversity/ Equity: International Network to Freedom Association, Muncaster Challenge
· Education: Alice Ferguson Foundation
· Stewardship: Canaan Valley Institute, Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship, Institute for Conservation Leadership

Also, certain individuals have been assigned to work in, on and around the Potomac and its tributaries. These include: Anacostia River Keeper, Potomac River Keeper, Potomac American Heritage River Navigator.

In addition there are a number of watershed-wide conservation efforts underway within the Potomac River valley. They include:

· Potomac Heritage Tourism Initiative, Potomac Heritage Partnership
· Potomac River Partnership, U.S. Forest Service
· Potomac American Heritage River Initiative, Friends of the Potomac
· Potomac Watershed Collaboration, The Wilderness Society and White Cloud Council
· Potomac National Scenic Heritage Trail

References:

Healy, Elizabeth, The Wolfhound Guide to The River Gods, 1998, Wolfhound Press, Dublin Ireland