TRASH FREE BY 2013!

Alice Ferguson Foundation

Experience, Education & ActionPresentation to the

Sustainable Water Resources Roundtable

April 25, 2006

TRASH FREE BY 2013!

Trash Free Potomac Initiative

• Background of AFF and Potomac Cleanup

• Getting Beyond Cleanups – Overview of Initiative

• How SWRR Can Help!

Presentation Overview

TRASH FREE BY 2013!

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

TRASH FREE BY 2013!

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

TRASH FREE BY 2013!

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

TRASH FREE BY 2013!

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

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

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

TRASH FREE BY 2013!

After 18 Years of Cleanups…

We Want a Trash Free Potomac!

•We want out of the Trash Business!

•Let’s get to the source!

TRASH FREE BY 2013!

How Do We Get to a

Trash Free Potomac

by 2013?

Trash Free Potomac Watershed Initiative

TRASH FREE BY 2013!

Adopt a Successful Model

TRASH FREE BY 2013!

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

TRASH FREE BY 2013!

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

TRASH FREE BY 2013!

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

TRASH FREE BY 2013!

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!

TRASH FREE BY 2013!

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

TRASH FREE BY 2013!

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!

TRASH FREE BY 2013!

Opportunities Ahead•Enlist Citizens and

Businesses

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

TRASH FREE BY 2013!

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

TRASH FREE BY 2013!

Opportunities Ahead

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

•Unified Regional Public Policy and Practice

TRASH FREE BY 2013!

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

TRASH FREE BY 2013!

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

TRASH FREE BY 2013!

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

TRASH FREE BY 2013!

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

TRASH FREE BY 2013!

We are Ready for Your Help!

TRASH FREE BY 2013!

TRASH FREE BY 2013!

…with many opportunities ahead