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Rock Creek Conservancy (formerly Friends of Rock Creek's Environment) is a nonprofit group working to protect and restore Rock Creek and its waters, parks, and lands.
Rock Creek Conservancy is the only organization that focuses on Rock Creek in its entirety. The creek meanders 33 miles through the Washington metropolitan area, crossing federal lands as well as district, city, county, and state boundaries. Although parkland borders much of the creek, the surrounding development threatens the health and beauty of these natural areas. Rock Creek Conservancy is uniquely positioned to foster outreach, education, and protection efforts to overcome threats to Rock Creek.
We work through a combination of education, advocacy, and action. Our strategy is to build partnerships with government agencies, nonprofit organizations, businesses, institutions, community groups, and residents to work together to preserve Rock Creek for present and future generations.
History
For years, people knew of both the enormous value of Rock Creek and the threats it faced, but there was no agency or organization that focused exclusively on this natural treasure. Several federal, state, and local agencies recognized the need for an organization that could be a voice for Rock Creek and worked together to launch a new organization to serve this purpose.
In 2005, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation awarded a grant to the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin (ICPRB) to promote formation of a group to focus on overcoming threats to Rock Creek. This grant provided funding to hold informational meetings, create an organization, develop a board of directors, and improve awareness of the creek and its issues. Partner organizations included the Montgomery County Government, the National Park Service, the DC Government, the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, the City of Rockville, and the Audubon Naturalist Society. Then-ICPRB staff member Steve Saari wrote the original grant proposal and was deeply involved with the early development of the group that became FORCE--Friends of Rock Creek's Environment.
In 2011, the organization adopted a new name, Rock Creek Conservancy, which is simpler and better reflects our mission.
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