Since Stewards began in 2001, we’ve worked with many allied groups for clean air and water and for land practices that nourish life. Together, we see more broadly and can get more accomplished.
ALLIES
Allegheny-Blue Ridge Alliance (ABRA) https://www.abralliance.org/
ABRA’s Conservation Hub program promotes responsible resource management by providing data-focused tools that enhance a project’s transparency,
strengthen its accountability to regulatory agencies and facilitate public participation in its evaluation process.
Appalachian Mountain Advocates (AppalMad) Provides legal and research expertise to fight polluting pipelines and mountaintop removal mining, offices in Lewisburg WV and Charlottesville VA: https://www.appalmad.org/our-work/
Audubon Societies including Northern Shenandoah Valley society in Winchester, VA https://www.nsvaudubon.org Mountaineer Audubon in Morgantown, WV http://mountaineeraudubon.org/ and Potomac Valley Audubon in Charles Town, WV https://www.potomacaudubon.org keep track of local birds, offer education, and promote conservation of their habitat.
Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship: Nonprofit in Loudoun County, VA maintains 900 acres for sustainable farming, forest conservation and tourism A conservation easement ensures the land will be preserved for now and future generations. https://www.blueridgecenter.org/
Cacapon and Lost Rivers Land Trust https://www.cacapon.org/
The largest local land trust in W.Va., Cacapon/Lost River Land Trust has been working with landowners for 30 years in the Cacapon watershed to protect the forests, rivers and farms they love through voluntary conservation easements that restrict environmentally-destructive land uses. CLRLT engages landowners in a decision making process to support their goals for the land while protecting its conservation value. Donated easements can offer tax deduction benefits.
Cacapon Institute , https://www.cacaponinstitute.org/about-us/
which started as Pine Cabin Run Lab performing water testing and stream monitoring in the Cacapon River watershed, has expanded its missions to the interactions of rivers and forests throughout the Eastern Panhandle in cooperation with the whole Potomac and Chesapeake Bay watershed. They’ve been focusing on community tree planting projects with churches, towns and groups around the Potomac Highlands
Community & Environmental Defense Services (CEDS) https://ceds.org/
a nationwide network of more than 135 attorneys and other professionals including planners, environmental scientists, traffic engineers, political strategists, and fundraisers based in Owings Mills, MD, advises citizens on protecting their interests from sprawl and other poorly-planned land-development projects.
Friends of Blackwater Canyon , based in the town of Thomas, WV, https://saveblackwater.org/our-organization/ a nonprofit educational group, works to protect and promote natural beauty, diverse creatures, unique heritage, and the outdoor recreation economy in the Mid-Atlantic Allegheny Highlands — home to the magnificent, 10,000-acre Blackwater Canyon – West Virginia’s “Scenic Crown Jewel.” They have supported research on valuable species, including their mascot “Ginny” the forest-dwelling flying squirrel, and on the history of the coal and timber industry in the area, including the victories of local Black pioneers like civil rights lawyer J.R. Clifford. They aren’t afraid to sue, either, if loggers, developers or highway builders try to mess with these treasures. Donna Cook, a Stewards board member, also serves on the Friends of Blackwater board.
Friends of the Cacapon River https://cacaponriver.org/activities/
is a nonprofit citizens watershed group based in Capon Bridge, which monitors river quality of the Cacapon in partnership with Cacapon Institute, and conducts canoe trips and river cleanups through Morgan and Hampshire Counties. Has published a tour map of the Cacapon.
Friends of the Earth https://foe.org/
is one national environmental group that really helps grassroots citizen fighters. They aren’t afraid to deal with national oil-wasting policies, including new highway construction, and have lately been focused on saving bees and other pollinators from an increasing barrage of chemical pesticides.
Groundwater Foundation: Groundwater.org based in Ohio, researches groundwater and involves people, businesses and communities in keeping it clean and sustainable. FYI: Over 50% of West Virginians get water from a well.
Labor Beat radio show: Facebook group administered by Stewards board member John Christensen. Keep up with your labor/enviro issues here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/586112184835970
Land Trust Alliance https://www.landtrustalliance.org/ is a helpful national reference how to protect your own land and restrict future development. In 2021 they are aiming to manifest President Biden’s executive order calling for conservation of at least 30 percent of the U.S. land base by 2030 .
Mountain View Solar: https://mtvsolar.com/
A local Eastern Panhandle family owned solar installation business, now doing residential, commercial, government and nonprofit work. Stewards board member John Christensen is their Renewables Advocate in Charleston.
Potomac Conservancy: https://potomac.org/
Want to know more about the Potomac watershed, how to take care of your land and ultimately protect it? The Conservancy educates residents about the watershed, advocates for clean water upstream, and works with local land trusts and willing private owners to put conservation easements on land. In the DC area, it’s now involving more People of Color and poorer neighborhoods in river cleanups and monitoring. Its Shenandoah Resource Center focuses on land protection in the Northern Shenandoah Valley and South Branch Watershed, 210 S. Braddock St. #101, Winchester, VA 22601, 540-667-3606.
Save Our County http://yourland.homestead.com/
Stewards board member Paul Burke’s amazing archive of information on planning, sprawl, state environmental laws from the earlier 2000s, based in Jefferson County West Virginia.
https://shenandoahalliance.org/ Shenandoah Alliance mobilizes citizens to get involved in planning commission, board of supervisor and city council decisions in Augusta, Frederick, Page, Rockingham Shenandoah, Warren Counties of Virginia. . Goal: protect the Shenandoah Valley’s rural character— working farm and forest lands and historic battlefields- and encourage new growth to the Valley’s historic towns and cities.
https://www.sierraclub.org/west-virginia Sierra Club in West Virginia has been working since 1892 to protect communities, wild places, and the planet by promoting sustainable energy and keeping an eye on public lands..
West Virginia Environmental Council Charleston, West Virginia based citizens lobbies and organizes for clean air and water and sustainable economic development. No news under the Capitol dome gets by them as they struggle against corruption and corporate Goliaths.
West Virginia Highlands Conservancy since 1965 has worked to conserve, advocate, and educate about our natural treasures, for the cultural, social, educational, physical health, spiritual and economic benefit of present and future generations of residents and visitors. It works for trails and wildlife refuges and to stop or rescale mining, highways and dam projects. Keeps an eagle eye on the great Monongahela National Forest, Blackwater Canyon, and other wild treasures of our state
West Virginia Rivers Coalition is the best source of info on clean water all over our state. They take on the poultry industry pollution as well as coal mining , floodplain building, and other issues. W.Va. Rivers Coalition also houses a network of organizations addressing climate change in West Virginia including WV CLIMATE NEWS https://wvrivers.org/climate/
WV Rivers Coalition now has a representative in the Eastern Panhandle, Tanner Haid https://wvrivers.org/2019/05/tanner/ who formerly directed a tree planting program with Cacapon Institute.
WEST VIRGINIA CLIMATE ALLIANCE, https://www.wvclimatealliance.org is a broad-based coalition of almost 20 environmental organizations, faith-based, civil rights and civic organizations, and other groups with a focus on climate change. Members of the Alliance work together to provide science-based education on climate change to West Virginia citizens and policymakers.
The West Virginia Surface Owners’ Rights Organization lobbies to have the property rights of surface owners recognized, to increase their chances of owning some of the minerals under them, and to deal with thousands and thousands of orphaned wells and other environmental problems
Stewards of the Potomac Highlands 