In 2017, recognizing an opportunity to increase coordination and teamwork towards achieving shared goals in water quality, soil health, and farmland protection, Alliance for the Shenandoah Valley spearheaded the creation of the Shenandoah Valley Conservation Collaborative (SVCC).
Shenandoah Valley Conservation Collaborative
The SVCC is a partnership of regional nonprofits, land trusts, watershed groups, and state and federal conservation agencies. Through the SVCC, these partners identify opportunities, coordinate expertise, and motivate conservation action. The SVCC creates a formal way for partners to leverage each other’s strengths, networks, and funding sources to increase outcomes beyond what any partner could acting individually.
Through the SVCC partners have brought more than $6 million to our region for land and water conservation. This funding goes towards:
- Protecting rural land in permanent conservation easements
- Implementing practices on farms that improve local water quality and build healthy soils
- Improving outreach and networking with landowners and farmers
- Managing the Shenandoah Valley Fund
- Testing innovative approaches to land and water conservation
SVCC Staff
The SVCC is supported by two full time staff members, the Project Manager who works to build collaborative capacity and strengthen the partnership, and the Conservation Field Assistant who works directly with local Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Soil and Water Conservation Districts.
Collaborative Members
Conservation Landowner Profiles
Resources
Collaborative Support:
- Land Trust Alliance and Chesapeake Bay Funders Network
- National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
This material is based on work supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Assistance Agreement No. CB96358201) and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund, which promotes community-based efforts to develop conservation strategies to protect and restore the diverse natural resources of the Chesapeake Bay. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the opinions or policies of the U.S. Government or the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and its funding sources. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute their endorsement by the U.S. Government, or the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation or its funding sources.
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