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

TRASH FREE BY 2013! Why AFF Cares About Trash Potomac Shoreline at Hard Bargain Farm

TRASH FREE BY 2013! 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

TRASH FREE BY 2013! Cleanup Grows & Expands Each Year

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 & DisincentivesEconomic Incentives & Disincentives

TRASH FREE BY 2013! Trash Free Potomac Framework Alice Ferguson Foundation 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

TRASH FREE BY 2013! 1 st Annual Trash Summit Hosted by The World Bank March 16, 2006

TRASH FREE BY 2013! 265 participants Federal, state & local leaders Business leaders Non-profit leaders Media Concerned citizens Students 1st Annual Trash Summit

TRASH FREE BY 2013! 1 st Annual Trash Summit 16 elected officials committed to the 2006 Action Agreement!

TRASH FREE BY 2013! 2006 Action Agreement Highlights: 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! 18 th Potomac Watershed Cleanup 4,000 + volunteers 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 18 th Potomac Watershed Cleanup, April 8, 2006!

TRASH FREE BY 2013! 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

TRASH FREE BY 2013! 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 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!

…with many opportunities ahead