Category: Latest from the Blog
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Stream Monitoring Volunteers are Your “Eyes on the Ground”
October. Fall Monitoring. Three incidents discovered and reported. For nearly 30 years, WQM volunteers have played a crucial role in protecting streams by serving as “eyes on the ground.” They do this by observing, identifying and reporting potential threats.
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Speak up for stronger climate action leadership in Fairfax County!
In September 2021, Fairfax County’s Board of Supervisors adopted the county’s first-ever Community-wide Energy and Climate Action Plan (CECAP). But reaching aggressive targets on time will take bold leadership. TAKE ACTION and tell your Supervisor to make the most effective plan possible.
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Sprawl is bad for forests and streams
The Washington, DC area has lost a great deal of forest over the last few decades due to sprawl and suburban development. This has also harmed our streams and watersheds. Backyard and shade trees are valuable, but not substitutes for intact forest from an ecosystem perspective.
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Take Action Now: Protect Ten Mile Creek from more pavement!
On January 17th, 2023, The Montgomery County Council will hold a public hearing on ZTA 22-12 which will essentially allow for more impervious surfaces around Ten Mile Creek. This ZTA will except bikeways from the impervious surface limits of 6% set in place previously by the 2014 Clarksburg Master Plan with the Ten Mile Creek…
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Conservation News – Winter 2022-2023
Conservation advocacy news & updates from winter 2022-2023.
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Sprawl is Bad for the Climate
Nature Forward supports land-use plans that fight sprawl with development that keeps housing and business growth centered near transit and away from forests and farms.
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Equipping our Community Scientists to Monitor Streams
Nature Forward received a grant from the Society for Biodiversity Preservation (SBP) in January 2022 to purchase equipment for use by our volunteers who monitor streams in the Washington, DC Metro region. Our Water Quality Monitoring (WQM) community science program, which has been running for 30 years, helps fill data gaps in the freshwater stream…
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Montgomery County incorporates climate change into planning and zoning
Take Action Now!: On December 8th the Montgomery Planning Board will have a meeting to review the new Climate Assessment Report. This is a crucial step that will add a climate change review process to all master plans and zoning text amendments (ZTAs). Read more about this process below and get ready to send in…
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Electrify Montgomery County’s Future Buildings Today!
11/29/22 UPDATE: Thanks to your advocacy and the Electrify MoCo Coalition’s persistency, the Montgomery County Council passed Bill 13-22 unanimously today. All new building constructions will be required to be all electric starting December 31st, 2026, and some buildings like on income-restricted residential units, residential buildings with 4 or more stories, and private and public schools…
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Celebrating Our Volunteers: Join the Conservation Volunteers 2022-23
In December 2021, ANS revamped its Conservation Research and Advocacy Volunteer Program to consistently engage members and volunteers in the work of our Conservation Department. Conservation advocates in DC, Maryland, and Virginia host bi-monthly meetings with volunteers paired with a training or workshop to enhance their skills and ability to…