The Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin (ICPRB) is a multi-jurisdictional (VA, WV, PA, MD, DC and Federal government representation) organization whose mission is to:
...enhance, protect, and conserve the water and associated land resources of the Potomac River and its tributaries through regional and interstate cooperation. Considered the "Nation's River," for more than five million basin residents, the river plays an important role in the lives of all. Through regional cooperation and partnerships, ICPRB is protecting the river and improving the quality of life in the watershed, as it has since 1940.
The Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin (ICPRB) was created with an interstate compact established by Congress in 1940 to help the Potomac basin states and the federal government to enhance, protect, and conserve the water and associated land resources of the Potomac River basin through regional and interstate cooperation. The ICPRB jurisdictions are represented by appointed Commissioners from Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, the District of Columbia, and the federal government.
Great idea - manage a river basin based on its watershed, not its political boundaries!
That noble goal was made a bit more difficult recently when the Commonwealth of Virginia decided to withdraw support - $151,500 per year - from the ICPRB. Not only that, but it is considering withdrawing from the ICPRB entirely. That's more distressing.
DC has suspended this year's payment of $69,000 because of immediate budgetary issues, saying that this is just a temporary condition.
Here is what Joseph Hoffman, ICPRB's Executive Director, emailed me when I requested more information:
Virginia's annual contribution has recently been set at $151,500, and the total compact membership contribution from our signatory jurisdictions has been $484,250. Our FY 11 total budgeted revenue was $2,922,000.
The membership contributions are a relatively small part of our operation that is set by a formula provided for in the compact using population, land area and amount of pollution as factors used to compute the annual membership amounts. The balance of our revenue is from grants and projects we undertake with and for the jurisdictions, the United States government agencies, and the metropolitan Washington water utilities and others.For added information, especially about current efforts, please review our latest Potomac Basin Reporter.
In this edition we discuss the funding issue and our concept for a basin-wide water resources plan that was unveiled by our Dr. Heidi Moltz at the AWRA Specialty Conference in Utah this summer.
AWRA, whose office is in the PRB, recently wrote a letter to Dr. David K. Paylor of Virginia DEQ urging the Commonwealth's continued support. Technical Director Dick Engberg wrote most of it and I signed it.
It's shortsighted and selfish of Virginia to eliminate its ICPRB support and to consider withdrawing. Even without Virginia's money and participation, the ICPRB's work will continue to benefit the Commonwealth. After all, a large portion of the PRB will still be in Virginia.
You know those pesky transboundary watersheds; it’s hard to eliminate them by fiat or vote.
Can you spell F-R-E-E R-I-D-E-R?
"Watersheds cross political boundaries - that's why we're here." - From the ICPRB homepage
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