Alice Ferguson Foundation Experience, Education & Action

TRASH FREE BY 2013!

Alice Ferguson Foundation

Experience, Education & ActionPresentation to the

Sustainable Water Resources Roundtable

April 25, 2006

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Trash Free Potomac Initiative

• Background of AFF and Potomac Cleanup

• Getting Beyond Cleanups – Overview of Initiative

• How SWRR Can Help!

Presentation Overview

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Where is the Alice Ferguson Foundation?

•Hard Bargain Farm – 330-acre education facility along the Potomac

•Ten-miles south of Woodrow Wilson Bridge in Accokeek, Maryland – PG County

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Alice Ferguson Foundation – a regional treasure

• Alice and Henry Ferguson purchased Hard Bargain Farm in 1922

• Nonprofit chartered in 1954 as an education organization.

• AFF mission is to provide experiences that encourage connections between people, the natural environment, farming and the cultural heritage of the Potomac River Watershed - that lead to personal environmental responsibility

TRASH FREE BY 2013! Alice Ferguson Foundation Experience, Education & Action

Education Programs

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Potomac River Watershed Cleanup

• The cleanup began in 1989 when the Alice Ferguson Foundation wanted to clean the Hard Bargain Farm and the Piscataway Park shoreline.

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Why AFF Cares About Trash

Potomac Shoreline at Hard Bargain Farm

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Potomac Watershed

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Annual Potomac Watershed Cleanups

• 1,240 Tons (2,480,000 lbs.) of trash• 36,000 Volunteers • Hundreds of Partners in four states & DC

17 Year Grand Total 1989 to 2005

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Cleanup Grows & Expands Each Year

Potomac Watershed Cleanup History

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50

100

150

200

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1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Year

Clea

nup

Site

s &

Tons

of T

rash

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

Volu

ntee

rs

Cleanup Sites

Tons of Trash

Volunteers

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After 18 Years of Cleanups…

We Want a Trash Free Potomac!

•We want out of the Trash Business!

•Let’s get to the source!

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How Do We Get to a

Trash Free Potomac

by 2013?

Trash Free Potomac Watershed Initiative

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Adopt a Successful Model

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Anti-Smoking – A Multifaceted Approach

•Public Education & Awareness

•Research

•Legislation & Enforcement

•Economic Incentives & Economic Incentives & DisincentivesDisincentives

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Trash Free Potomac Framework

Alice Ferguson Foundation

Advisory Council

Research and

Management

Public Education

andAwareness

Future EconomyOf Trash

The New Rulesof Trash:

Legislation & Enforcement

Make It Happen:

Monitoring and Evaluation

5 Action Committees

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Advisory Council

Congressman Chris Van Hollen signing Trash Treaty

– February 2006

• Chaired by the Honorable Chris Van Hollen

• 2 Congressman serving Anacostia River• 2 federal agencies focused on the

Anacostia• 3 Chiefs of Staff to DC/PG and

Montgomery• Funder – Chesapeake Bay Trust Director• COG Environmental Programs Director• AWS - Robert Boone• Media – WTOP General Manager

High profile leaders driving the effort

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Potomac Watershed Trash Treaty

• 23 elected officials have currently signed (Federal, State and Local)

• Representing 16 major jurisdictions in Metropolitan Area Frederick County Supervisors

sign Trash Treaty - March 2006

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1st Annual Trash SummitHosted by The World Bank

March 16, 2006

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265 participants • Federal, state & local

leaders • Business leaders• Non-profit leaders • Media • Concerned citizens • Students

1st Annual Trash Summit

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1st Annual Trash Summit16 elected officials committed to the

2006 Action Agreement!

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2006 Action AgreementHighlights:• Map trash “hot-spots” • Trash Indicators &

Monitoring • Regional public education

campaign• Regional policies to

address illegal dumping & enforcement

Judith Davis, Mayor of Greenbelt, MD signs the 2006 Action Agreement

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18th Potomac Watershed Cleanup•4,000 + volunteers•145 + tons of trash•73,000 + recyclable containers•Top brands reported:

•Budweiser/Bud lite•7-11•Coca-Cola•McDonalds •Pepsi

Congressman Steny Hoyer pitches in at the 18th Potomac Watershed Cleanup,

April 8, 2006!

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Bringing Attention to Trash!

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Partners Taking Action• Metropolitan Washington Council of

Governments – Trash Questionnaire – 1-800-Trash Hotline to report dumping

• 2 Companies – LMI and Strategic Analysis– Professional scientists support data analysis – Trash flows simulation model

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Governments Taking Action

•District of Columbia – Listing the Anacostia River as “Impaired” for trash

•State of Maryland – Considering listing the Anacostia as “Impaired” for trash

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We Have Made Progress!1) Acknowledgment that trash is an issue!

2) Created framework for multi-jurisdictional collaboration!

3) Garnered Political Will!

4) Developed process for accountability!

5) Engaged thousands in Citizen Action!

6) Brought Greater Awareness!

7) Creative Partnering and Leveraging of Resources!

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Opportunities Ahead•Enlist Citizens and

Businesses

Actions:•Create infrastructure to capture and engage citizens •Collaborate with businesses on public education

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Opportunities Ahead•Regional Public Education

Campaign

Actions:•Target audiences and develop messages and methods•Incorporate innovative communication techniques – “viral marketing”•Leverage resources of region to support effort

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Opportunities Ahead

Actions: •Facilitate collaboration among key departments•Implement unified policies

•Unified Regional Public Policy and Practice

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Opportunities Ahead•Economics of Trash &

Recycling

Actions:•Examine real cost of trash and recycling •Economic-based Models of trash reduction strategies •Use business plan framework

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Opportunities Ahead•Research – Applied Data &

Analysis

Actions:•Gather key data and research•Develop framework and models for analysis – including simulation model•Incorporate cost benefit analysis

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Opportunities Ahead• Improved Water Quality

through Trash!

Consider what happened in Los Angeles: •Public overwhelmingly supported passage of Proposition O in Nov. 2004•Resulted in issuance of $500 million bond to fund removal of trash from storm water – in addition to other water quality measures

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Immediate Possibility

SWRR collaborates with TFPWI to develop & report on Trash Indicators for Potomac

Watershed as national pilot!

•Identify and develop manageable number of indicators for trash – start with three indicators

•SWRR coordinates annual report on the trash data

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We are Ready for Your Help!

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TRASH FREE BY 2013!

…with many opportunities ahead