Washington Area Regional Conservation Priorities List

Click here to see our Conservation Project advertisement in the Washington Business Journal

Click here to download the 2006 Regional Conservation Priorities List

Click here to download the 2007 Regional Conservation Priorities List

The SGA believes that land conservation is more than just an amenity. From the Chesapeake Bay to the Anacostia River to the Blue Ridge, thoughtfully conceived conservation programs and projects can help shape growth patterns over time and enhance land stewardship, air and water quality, and quality of life. Done well, they can also reduce opposition to smart growth development by increasing certainty that high-quality open space will be preserved in the region or that green components of urban environments will be restored. As a unique, one-of-a-kind partnership of environmental organizations and business associations, the SGA can provide critical support.

SGA's 2006 inaugural Regional Conservation Priorities List garnered over 20 spots in the local media, including an editorial in the Richmond Times Dispatch. The goal of the List is to provide political support and heighten public awareness for regional conservation needs. Each year, the SGA and partner organizations will publish an annual list of the promising initiatives, projects, or policies that will encourage better conservation in the broadest sense; from rural land preservation policies, on-the-ground conservation projects, to urban “green” restoration initiatives.

All projects, initiatives or policies possess the following criteria:

  • Significance: We seek programs, projects or policies that through their implementation will significantly add to the region’s network of green infrastructure as that term is most broadly understood. Each initiative will be judged within its own context. Some will be initiatives that will actually shape future development in our region. Some may be of well-known regional significance, while others may be included for their unique role in a smaller neighborhood setting.

  • Urgency: Within the calendar year, there should be an opportunity where the SGA’s endorsement can provide needed support.

  • Implementation: The program, project, or initiative must be one for which secure and adequate funding, or a realistic mechanism for funding, has been identified, or, when funding is not needed, other means for implementation (e.g., a clear and fair public process).

    • What does listing do?
    Listing gives public and private supporters a strong platform on which to build a case that their initiative has broad support from the environmental and business communities.

    Who is eligible?
    Local governments, non-profit organizations, landowners, and citizens may all submit projects that are pending or could, if successful, make a significant impact.

    What kind of projects are eligible?
    1) Specific parcels or geographic areas in need of preservation as working open space or parkland;
    2) New state or local policies/programs to promote land conservation, building techniques to support environmental goals, or capital projects that will benefit the local environment;
    3) Restoration initiatives focusing on contaminated and/or blighted parcels, places or resources.


    How do I apply?

    Click Here to download the nominations form

    The deadline for the 2007 list has passed. Contact the SGA at 301-986-5959 or dminess@sgalliance.org for additional information

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