Maryland Land Expanse among Top Conservation Priorities

Contact: Wilton Corkern
Phone: 301.283.2113
Email: wcorkern@accokeek.org

Maryland Land Expanse among Top Conservation Priorities
One of Six Locations Identified within Greater Washington Area

Washington, DC (October 22, 2008) - An expanse of 25,000 acres in Southern Maryland is a "conservation priority" for 2008, one of six key environmental sites identified by the Smart Growth Alliance at its annual recognition ceremony.

Known as the George Washington Maryland Conservation Area, the land mass extends along the Maryland shoreline of the Potomac River south from Broad Creek to Mattawoman Creek. Indian Head Highway runs through the eastern portion of the area.

"This stretch of the Potomac shoreline is renowned for its beauty and recreational value," said Lee Epstein, lands program director at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and chairman of the Alliance's conservation jury. "It remains much as it was 250 years ago when George Washington first came to live at Mount Vernon."

Epstein said that the 25,000-acre Conservation Area boasts a wealth of environmental, cultural and historic resources, from wetlands to farms to nationally significant historic sites. Many of these pristine resources are not permanently protected and are therefore subject to the land use and development pressures typical of rapidly growing communities, he added.

The Accokeek Foundation and George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate have joined forces to monitor these resources and promote their preservation.

The goal of the Regional Conservation Priorities List is to promote conservation initiatives that contribute most to our future quality of life.

The other five priorities for 2008 are:
• The Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail along the tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay
• Long Bridge Park on the Potomac in Arlington County
• Dove's Landing in the Occoquan watershed in Prince William County
• A proposed greenway linking the circle of Civil War forts and earthen defenses that surrounded the nation's capital
• The 40 original boundary stones that outlined the District of Columbia.

The Smart Growth Alliance's programs seek to promote the overall sustainability of the region by encouraging smart growth alternatives such as compact and infill development that can be more affordable for citizens in the short term and more sustainable over the long term. At the same time, it is clear that smart conservation - preserving working open space, parkland or natural areas and restoring green components of urban environments - can help shape growth patterns over time, as well as enhance land stewardship, air and water quality, and quality of life.

The Conservation Priorities report notes that by 2030, the National Capital Region is expected to increase by two million people and more than 1.6 million jobs, adding pressure to historic sites and natural environments.

"In the face of concerns about climate change and rising energy costs, the prospect of this growth raises serious questions about the patterns of land use and development in this region," said Sam Black, president of the Smart Growth Alliance. "In fact, the typical suburban growth patterns we continue to experience are probably not sustainable, especially over the long term."

For more information on the Alliance, visit the Smart Growth Alliance's website: http://www.SGAlliance.org.

For more information on the George Washington Maryland Conservation Area, contact Wilton Corkern, The Accokeek Foundation, 301-283-2113; James Rees, Mount Vernon, 703-799-8650.