Member Highlight: Safe Water Conservation Collaborative
For this Member Highlight, the Coalition's West Virginia State Lead, Maria Russo, interviews Alyssa Murray, Manager of Land Conservation at the Potomac Conservancy and Coordinator for the Safe Water Conservation Collaborative. Their edited conversation follows.
What city and state is your organization based in? What area (local, regional, statewide) do you work in?
We're based in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, specifically Jefferson and Berkeley County
Tell us about your organization and your mission.
Our goal is for the Safe Water Conservation Collaborative to serve as a vibrant network collaborating on land conservation and stewardship practices to protect safe, clean drinking water for communities in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. Our mission is to protect drinking water through land conservation.
What is one of your current projects you are the most excited about?
We are currently finishing up our work on our NFWF grant to plant 20 acres of riparian buffers in West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle. We are wrapping this project up this Spring and will have planted a little more than 20 acres, surpassing our goal. We're very excited about this work and look forward to seeing and feeling the benefits of these buffers in the future.
What issue area do you hope to focus on in the future? How is it relevant for clean water restoration?
I hope to focus on best management practices in the future and help farmers and landowners learn more about their options to manage their land in ways that can be less harmful and even helpful to the environment.
What do you hope to gain from being a member of the Coalition/what do you enjoy about being a member?
I enjoy staying up to date on other local organizations and hearing about their efforts to safeguard our community's drinking water. It is helpful as a Coordinator to learn about the different projects happening throughout the region, and also nice as a resident to learn ways to get involved personally.
