2015 AnnualREPORT

1 A MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN & THE PRESIDENT

PHOTO2 BY JODY COUSER When we talk about the Chesapeake Bay, many people immediately and public access in the Chesapeake. Our staff has been recognized picture in their minds the Bay’s most iconic images—sailboats, blue nationally as leaders in Geographic Information Systems technology. crabs, great blue herons—but for us, these are not the images that We have connected people to the Bay through youth engagement and come first to our minds. Over the years, we’ve traveled throughout the bringing the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail to watershed and met many of the people who call this place home. It is life on your computer and mobile devices. the people of the Chesapeake that come to our minds. People like those featured in this report. People like you. We must recognize the urgency of now and stand up for our beliefs and values, so that future generations will praise our foresight rather than You are the Chesapeake. Whether you are male or female, American condemn our ignorance. Together with you and all of our partners, Indian, African American, Caucasian or other ethnicity, young or old, we are the Chesapeake. We must rise to the challenge and commit to urban or rural, you are connected to the rivers and streams near your saving our great rivers and special places before they disappear forever. A MESSAGE FROM homes, schools, workplaces, and churches. You should be proud of the actions you take, the votes you cast, the In 2015, we celebrated your passion for the Chesapeake and your belief hours you volunteer, and the dollars you donate. Just as each of the THE CHAIRMAN & in our ability to save our landscapes, waterways, wildlife, culture, and Chesapeake’s many rivers and streams contribute fresh water to the history. We underscored that you are the key to our mission to achieve estuary, you contribute physically and spiritually to this special place. THE PRESIDENT a healthier Chesapeake Bay watershed. We challenged partners and policymakers on what we can do for the Chesapeake and therefore what we can do for each other. We committed to achieving a state of harmony between people and the Chesapeake.

To save this place, we must all recognize that we are a part of this ecosystem. Along with that awesome connection and enlightenment, comes tremendous responsibility—personal responsibility to achieve environmental sustainability for current and future generations. We continue to learn from our American Indian forefathers and friends Paul E. Hagen, Esq. Joel E. Dunn and consider how decisions today will affect people seven generations, Chairman of the Board President & CEO or 140 years, into the future.

Among the accomplishments presented in this report, is our role as the COVER PHOTO CREDITS lead nonprofit partner for the Rivers of the Chesapeake collaborative, SUSQUEHANNA BY PETER TURCIK AERIAL OF GUNPOWDER RIVER BY EMILY MYRON for which Congress approved millions of dollars for conservation INSET PHOTOS BY SCOTT MCDANIEL BACK COVER PHOTO BY ALICE WELLFORD 3 PHOTO BY JAMES CHANG/NPS Explore! Our partners at the National Park Service Chesapeake Bay Office coordinate Kids in Kayaks in partnership with the Baltimore National Heritage Area and Baltimore City Recreation SUSAN MEREDITH - A CONSERVATIONIST AND AN ENTREPRENEUR CONNECTING PEOPLE TO THE CHESAPEAKE BAY and Parks. Students have the opportunity to explore the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail and to get out on Blackwater Paddle & Pedal Adventures PHOTO BY SCOTT MCDANIEL the water, some for the first time.

CONNECT & EXPLORE CHESAPEAKE BAY

The Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail & Public Access SHORELINE

ur core mission is to leverage our technology, funds, and political influence to protect land and enhance public access

along the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail. All along the trail, we have partnered to create new PUBLIC parks, expand wildlife refuges, build kayak launches, and restore shorelines to bring the nation’s first all-water national historic trail to life. O PRIVATELY OWNED At the Chesapeake Conservancy, we believe that when people feel connected to the Bay, they’ll be more likely to be inspired to help take care of this national treasure, by voting for elected officials who care about the environment, or maybe even by inspiring the next generation of conservation leaders who could commit their careers to restoring the health of the Chesapeake.

4 To be able to explore the Chesapeake, residents and visitors first need places where they can access it. With 98% of the Chesapeake’s shorelines in private ownership, the Conservancy has made it a priority to partner with the National Park Service Chesapeake Bay Office to develop and enhance public access. The Chesapeake Conservancy advocates for more federal, state, local, and private funding for public access sites. In 2015, we joined the National Park Service Chesapeake Bay Office and local partner organizations in celebrating these new public access sites that opened for use:

• New accessible canoe/kayak launch completed on Accokeek Creek at Crow’s Nest Natural Area Preserve in Stafford, Virginia

• New accessible boating facility on the Occoquan Water Trail opened at Lake Ridge Park Marina in Prince William County, Virginia

• New accessible canoe/kayak launch completed at Phillips Wharf Environmental Center on Tilghman Island in Maryland

• New accessible canoe/kayak launch opened at Great Bridge Lock Park in Chesapeake, Virginia

• New accessible soft launch and fishing pier opened on the Rappahannock River in Port Royal, Virginia

• New waterfront park with boat launch ramp and floating dock opened in Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania

Other access site development projects were started in 2015:

• With assistance from the Allegheny Ridge Corporation, work began on phase two of the Juniata River Water Trail Access in Mapleton Borough and Mt. Union Borough, Pennsylvania, which will both include storm water control and river bank stabilization. At Mapleton Borough, there will be an accessible fishing platform, soft launch, camping and picnic sites, restrooms, a shelter, and kayak storage. At Mt. Union Borough, there will be a boat ramp, canoe and kayak access, primitive camping areas, kayak storage, fire rings, picnic tables, and riverside trail.

• Working with the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, construction began at Belle Isle State Park in Lancaster, Virginia, to provide an accessible PHOTO BY DEENA KILMON kayak and canoe launch, new restroom facility, and upgrades to four existing boat-in campsites with tent pads, fire rings, and picnic tables. Phillips Wharf Environmental Center at Tilghman Island, Maryland

5 Baltimore Wilderness

HE LANDSCAPE OF THE GREATER BALTIMORE AREA contains a diversity of settings from the forested river corridors protected through Patapsco Valley and Gunpowder Falls State Parks, to the patchwork of houses,T lawns, and trees of the surrounding suburbs, to the urban neighborhoods encompassing Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. Throughout these varied locations exists a network of land that has been protected by local, county, state, federal, and private partners. These parks and open spaces provide area residents with the opportunity to experience the outdoors and connect with the region’s bountiful natural and cultural resources. FORESTED LANDSCAPES PROTECT REGIONAL DRINKING WATER AT PRETTYBOY RESERVOIR The Greater Baltimore Wilderness Coalition (GBWC), an alliance of local, EMILY MYRON state, and federal government agencies, non-governmental organizations, professional associations, and other conservation coalitions, supports the vision of a connected, protected, and expanded green infrastructure network spanning central Maryland.

The Coalition is working to enhance and build upon the network of existing protected areas and is concentrating its effort on projects that incorporate the Coalition’s four principal focus areas: Resilience, Biodiversity, Equity, and Discovery.

Green Infrastructure A green infrastructure network includes In addition to providing critical habitat connected blocks of forested lands, for the region’s wildlife, forests and vegetated stream buffers, and restored other natural land cover prevent water wetlands and floodplains. In the upper from quickly running off the land FLOODING IN DOWNTOWN BALTIMORE AFTER HURRICANE ISABEL reaches of the area’s major watersheds, surface and carrying contaminants AMY DAVIS / BALTIMORE SUN these landscapes help absorb heavy to streams and waterways, thereby rainfall, temporarily store water, and helping to regulate and cleanse water slow flows of rainfall and snow melt to flowing into drinking water reservoirs. low-lying coastal areas.

Resilience The Coalition is working to improve transmission lines. Climate change the region’s capacity to deal with is also forecast to produce extended expected impacts of climate change, droughts that deplete regional water such as stronger coastal storms that supply reservoirs, impacting cost of produce intense downpours and treatment. cause flooding across the region’s watersheds. Closer to the coast and in developed areas, features such as the urban These storms and accelerating sea tree canopy, parks that manage level rise are impacting coastal stormwater, rain gardens, and communities and natural areas restored coastal wetlands reduce through storm surge, wave damage, adverse impacts from localized and higher tides. The effects include flooding and wave damage from flooding of homes and businesses, storms. They also provide additional and threats to critical infrastructure community benefits such as cleaner such as wastewater treatment plants, air, space for recreation, and relief transportation facilities, and energy from urban heat.

DEVELOPMENT ENCROACHES ON NATURAL LANDSCAPES IN ODENTON, MARYLAND JEFFREY ALLENBY

REPLICA OF JOHN SMITH’S SHALLOP DAVID ALLEN

Biodiversity In the rapidly developing region that function across jurisdictional lines that includes Baltimore, Annapolis, to protect habitat, provide corridors for and the surrounding jurisdictions, migration, and provide access to food considerable wildlife habitat has been and shelter for wildlife. lost to development or is fragmented by Preserving valuable aquatic sites, such highways, transmission lines, and other as freshwater wetlands, vernal pools, infrastructure projects. and unique coastal environments, The Coalition members work together protects vulnerable, often at risk species to support new partnerships and actions and provides habitat for migratory birds. Captain John Smith Trail Captain John Smith was an explorer established by Congress in 2006 as the from England and an integral figure in nation’s first all-water national historic the exploration and settlement of the trail. Chesapeake area during the early 17th The 3,800 mile long water trail follows century. the routes Capt. Smith took on his During two voyages in 1608, Smith and many explorations and invites visitors his crew explored the tidal portions to explore the natural and cultural of the Patapsco River, the Gunpowder wonders of the Chesapeake Bay and VOLUNTEERS PLANT TREES AT THE BROADWAY EAST COMMUNITY PARK IN BALTIMORE BALTIMORE PARKS AND PEOPLE River, and the Bush River. its tributaries. It is administered by the National Park Service, with the To honor Capt. Smith and to protect Chesapeake Conservancy serving as the his legacy, the Captain John Smith primary partner for its implementation. Chesapeake National Historic Trail was

Equity Access to nature is unequally available Studies have shown that access to across the region. The Coalition natural areas benefits public health, sees the need to better connect an reduces crime, and improves local increasingly urbanized population in economies. These areas can be of the region to nature. particular value to underserved neighborhoods that currently do not Local and regional greenways, city have access to public open spaces. parks, urban forests, and restored stream corridors can reach into the The Coalition seeks to improve access most heavily developed parts of the for all communities to the region’s rich region and provide connections to and abundant natural and cultural natural resources. heritage.

STUDENTS LEARN THE HISTORY BEHIND REGIONAL CONSERVATION EFFORTS AT GWYNNS FALLS PARK LAUREN SCHISZIK / FRIENDS OF MARYLAND’S OLMSTED PARKS & LANDSCAPES

Discovery Opportunities for people to discover across the generations and throughout and enjoy the greater Baltimore the entire greater Baltimore area. region’s natural resources is a critical Through years of environmental means to igniting a lifetime of education innovation and citizen appreciation for the value of a healthy engagement there exist excellent ecosystem. examples of environmental education The people living and working in and community action. However, there the greater Baltimore region are the is still much work to be done. strongest asset to achieving and The Coalition believes that we must sustaining a green infrastructure direct the attention of present and network. up-and-coming generations to discover Through collaboration, the Coalition the richness and value of the natural can develop the needed places, world so that we will collectively opportunities, and access that support improve as its stewards. discovery, learning, and volunteerism

Text by Erik Meyers, Genevieve LaRouche, Jeff Lerner, Karen Mullin, Joanna Ogburn, and Jeffrey Allenby Banner Photo: Tom Lynch/Tom Lynch Photography Copyright © 2014 Chesapeake Conservancy/National Geographic Society

The Chesapeake Conservancy is a member of the Greater Baltimore Wilderness Coalition, a USFWS-led initiative that works to create a DR. MAMIE PARKER - ENGAGES URBAN YOUTH IN CHESAPEAKE CONSERVATION resilient network of parks and open spaces in Maryland. Retired assistant director of fisheries and habitat conservation at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Chesapeake Conservancy board member, and 2015 Champions of the Chesapeake honoree PHOTO BY SCOTT MCDANIEL CONNECT & EXPLORE “The presentation made me want to show more care for the environment...I believe The Mamie Parker Journey: Inspiring Youth to Embrace the Chesapeake everyone should take care of the environment just like you, to make n 2015, the Chesapeake Conservancy began working with partners within the Greater Baltimore Wilderness Coalition, Baltimore a better place.” spearheaded by the USFWS Chesapeake Bay Field Office, which aims to create a resilient network of parks and open spaces in -Student, Baltimore City Public Schools the greater Baltimore area.

IThe Conservancy also facilitated outreach among city students through The Mamie Parker Journey: Inspiring Youth to Embrace the Chesapeake. Chesapeake Conservancy board member and inspirational speaker Dr. Mamie Parker presented to more than 450 students in Baltimore City, sharing her own life experience to show students how the outdoors and conservation have helped her overcome numerous obstacles in her life. Many of the students from her 2015 series wrote letters to Dr. Parker, thanking her for her inspiring words and life story. Dr. Parker offered insight into careers in conservation, inspiring the next generation of conservationists and engaging urban youth to explore the Chesapeake. Dr. Parker inspires us all with her passion and dedication to the natural world. 6 A computer screenshot of the Riverview Virtual Tour featuring Nichols Landing East, a kayak launch along the Susquehanna River in Tioga County, New York

CAPTAIN JOHN VAN ALSTINE - SHARES THE CHESAPEAKE’S CULTURAL LEGACY WITH VISITORS PHOTO BY SCOTT MCDANIEL Chesapeake Bay Waterman PHOTO BY SCOTT MCDANIEL A view from the new peregrine falcon webcam

Watermen and their families have played a crucial role in helping people connect to the Bay and fall in love with this CONNECT & EXPLORE our treasured Chesapeake Bay. Their unique identities have special place. In 2015, we launched our second wildlife influenced the history, culture, and economy of the Bay webcam featuring a nesting pair of peregrine falcons on for generations. The tours provide additional income for the 33rd floor of the Transamerica Building in downtown Watermen Heritage Tourism Training Program watermen and also offer a great opportunity to learn more Baltimore. Through the new peregrine cam, and the osprey about the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic cam launched in 2013, we’re helping people understand he Chesapeake Conservancy has worked with Trail, the nation’s first all-water national historic trail, as well the importance of conserving land in the Chesapeake and the Coastal Heritage Alliance, the Maryland as the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail. protecting the habitats of these iconic species. Watermen’s Association, and the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum to train more than 120 Virtual Connections Also in 2015, the Conservancy launched a virtual tour of watermenT to provide working tours of the Chesapeake Bay At the Chesapeake Conservancy, we’re finding new ways to use several rivers of the John Smith Chesapeake Trail. Now visitors through the Watermen Heritage Tourism Training program. technology to connect, conserve, and restore the Chesapeake can plan their trips from their computer or mobile phone. Training continued in 2015 on the Choptank River. Bay. By providing the public with virtual connections, we’re Through partnerships and with additional financial support, we hope to soon complete the virtual tour of the entire trail.

7 The Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail now extends beyond Smith’s explorations to include landscapes and travel routes important to the indigenous people of the Chesapeake. MAP COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE CHUCK HUNT - SHARING THE STORY OF THE CHESAPEAKE CHESAPEAKE BAY OFFICE Superintendent of the National Park Service Chesapeake Bay Office PHOTO BY SCOTT MCDANIEL

CONSERVE & RESTORE

ith this region’s human population approaching 18 million and climbing, and tens of thousands of acres of open space vanishing each year, it is critical that we take advantage of opportunities for large landscape conservation. With such development demands in the region, there are real fears that generations from now, our children’s children will have little concept of what the Chesapeake Bay looked like when Captain John Smith explored the area and met the American IndiansW who lived here over 400 years ago. We must find ways to conserve large tracts of land in the Chesapeake.

When Congress created the John Smith Chesapeake Trail, it created opportunities for federal funding and conservation efforts in this region. The trail connects with 16 national wildlife refuges, 12 national parks, and three other national trails, and it serves as a framework for large landscape conservation. In 2015, the Chesapeake Conservancy fought to protect some of the trail’s most beautiful sights under threat, including Fones Cliffs, a pristine eagle habitat on the Rappahannock River, and to stop powerlines from destroying the viewshed and historical setting on the James River near historic Jamestown. Our Envision the James and Envision the Susquehanna collaborative programs continued engaging communities and individuals to help create a common vision for each river to benefit present and future generations.

8 In October 2015, we partnered with the National Park Service to convene a meeting of the Chesapeake Conservation Partnership. With nearly 120 partners in attendance, the group addressed impacts from linear infrastructure projects, developed strategies to engage diverse audiences, and discussed the protected lands goals from the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement.

2015 CONSERVATION & RESTORATION HIGHLIGHTS PHOTO BY JEFFREY ALLENBY

Chesapeake Conservation Partnership meeting, 2015 Rivers of the Chesapeake Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Collaborative Proposal The Chesapeake Conservancy served as the lead nonprofit partner of the Rivers of the Chesapeake Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Collaborative proposal. Congress appropriated nearly $11 million for land conservation in the Chesapeake region and $2 million for supporting a range of public access and conservation efforts along the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail through the National Park Service’s Chesapeake Bay Office. The proposal had the bipartisan support of 5 governors, 9 U.S. senators, 17 members of the U.S. House of Representatives, 4 American Indian tribes, 34 nonprofits, and numerous local elected officials. Mallows Bay – Potomac River The Chesapeake Conservancy has been a lead nonprofit partner in a coalition seeking the designation of Mallows Bay – Potomac River as a new National Marine Sanctuary. In October 2015, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued a Notice of Intent to initiate a full public procedure and Environmental Impact Statement. Mallows Bay, located on the Potomac River in Charles County, Maryland, is home to the “Ghost Fleet,” the largest collection of historic shipwrecks in the Western Hemisphere, which has become a unique ecological habitat and tourist attraction along the John Smith Chesapeake Trail. Maryland’s Program Open Space The Conservancy is a strong advocate for Maryland’s Program Open Space, which is the state’s leading conservation tool to create new parks and playgrounds for children and more access to nature for everyone, while conserving land and providing wildlife habitat.

Maryland was ahead of its time when, more than 40 years ago, the State started putting money aside for land conservation. The open space funds come from a transfer tax of 0.5 percent on real estate transactions and are specifically intended for the creation of parks and playgrounds and the protection of forests and farmland. However, for many years these funds have been diverted to accomplish other priorities.

Together with members of the coalition Partners for Open Space, the Chesapeake Conservancy advocated throughout 2015 that these dedicated funds be used for their intended purpose. Ultimately, the governor signed legislation passed unanimously by PHOTO BY PETER TURCIK Maryland’s General Assembly, which restores $150 million in short-term funding and $270 million in long-term funding that was diverted by previous administrations. One of the ships in the “Ghost Fleet,” Mallows Bay-Potomac River

9 PHOTO BY IAN PLANT©

STEPHEN ADKINS - GIVING VOICE TO INDIGENOUS PEOPLE IN THE CONSERVATION OF THEIR HISTORIC HOMELANDS

Chief, Chickahominy Tribe and Chesapeake Conservancy board member PHOTO BY SCOTT MCDANIEL

CONSERVE & RESTORE

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge Expansion

he Chesapeake Conservancy is an advocate for the expansion of Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. In 2015, the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission approved more than $2.2 million in funding for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and its partners to acquire 758 acres at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. The money is part of more than $27 PHOTO BY PETER TURCIK million in funding approved by the Commission to conserve nearly 200,000 acres of wetland and associated upland The Chesapeake Conservancy works to protect wildlife habitats habitatsT for waterfowl, shorebirds, and other birds across the United States. such as Fones Cliffs on the Rappahannock River, home to one of the highest concentrations of eagles on the East Coast.

10 Amherst Tree Buffer Program In 2015, the Chesapeake Conservancy and the Robert E. Lee Soil and Water Conservation District partnered to install a riparian buffer on private lands in Amherst County, Virginia, as part of the Amherst Tree Buffer Program. Through this partnership, nearly two acres and 1,800 linear feet of riparian buffer habitat were planted on a property owned by Olan and Jay Mills. After years of serving as pasture for cows, this area will now be restored to the hardwood forest it once was, improving water quality and wildlife habitat along two small creeks that drain into the James River.

Large Landscape Conservation along the Nanticoke River The Chesapeake Conservancy has been working to protect a corridor of 8,500 acres of forested and working lands along the Nanticoke River since the establishment of the John Smith Chesapeake Trail. These lands are evocative of the Chesapeake in the 1600s and sustain the region’s plant and animal diversity. To date, through a partnership with Mt. Cuba Center and our federal, state, and nonprofit partners, we have permanently conserved more than 600 acres in the corridor. In 2016 and 2017, we plan to conserve an additional 1,500 acres that link up thousands of acres of previously protected land. In addition, we have helped to create several public access sites along this corridor.

A tremendous example of the special places we are protecting along the Nanticoke is Wrights Creek, PHOTO BY REGAN GIFFORD in Sussex County, Delaware. In 2015, the Chesapeake Conservancy and the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) conserved a 14-acre property with more than Amherst tree buffer planting 2,500 feet of mature forested buffer along the creek. These lands connect two wildlife corridors on public lands that were separated by private ownership and are now part of the Nanticoke Wildlife Area. The property was purchased by DNREC using funds from the Delaware Open Space Program and a grant from the Chesapeake Conservancy, which was made possible through the financial support of the Mt. Cuba Center.

Another great example is the Outten farm on the Chicamacomico River in Dorchester County, Maryland, in the Nanticoke Rural Legacy Area. In 2015, working with The Nature Conservancy and The Conservation Fund, we helped create a permanent conservation easement by adding Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) funds from the Department of Defense to Program Open Space funds from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to conserve another 308 acres along the river. The land conservation and public access successes along the Nanticoke and the John Smith Chesapeake Trail have become one of America’s premier examples of large landscape conservation.

Nanticoke/Blackwater Designated a Sentinel Landscape In 2015, the Chesapeake Conservancy applauded the designation of the Nanticoke River and its surrounding areas as a Sentinel Landscape by the Departments of Agriculture, Defense, and the Interior. Partnering with each agency, the Chesapeake Conservancy anticipates the designation to result in significant land conservation along the Nanticoke River, a primary flight path for aircraft out of Naval Air Station Patuxent River.The Sentinel Landscapes Partnership was launched by the PHOTO COURTESY OF CHESAPEAKE BAY PROGRAM Obama Administration to preserve agricultural lands, assist with military readiness, and restore and The Chesapeake Conservancy worked to help designate the Nanticoke River, pictured protect wildlife habitat. here, as a Sentinel Landscape. PHOTO BY ANNE MARIE CLARKE 11 Jack Dangermond, Esri president (second from right), with Chesapeake Conservancy staff (left to right): Colin Stief, solutions engineer; Conor Phelan, conservation analyst; and Jeff Allenby, director of conservation technology. PHOTO COURTESY OF ESRI

The Chesapeake Conservancy was honored with a Special Achievement in GIS (SAG) Award at the 2015 Esri International User Conference. This award acknowledges vision, DR. ROBERT ZARR - PRESCRIBING PARKS FOR PATIENTS’ HEALTH. OUR PARK FINDER APP CAN HELP. leadership, hard work, and innovative use of Esri’s geographic information DC PARKS RX PHOTO BY SCOTT MCDANIEL system (GIS) technology.

INNOVATE

Next Generation of Conservation

ust as the use of technology revolutionized the corporate world and made it more efficient, the Chesapeake Conservancy believes technology can do the same for the conservation movement. Using cutting edge technology and sophisticated GIS

mapping software, the Chesapeake Conservancy helps our partners practice precision conservation to yield a greater impact IMAGE BY JEFFREY ALLENBY with fewer resources. Our Conservation Innovation Center (CIC) is creating high-resolution land cover data that is up to J 900 times the resolution of existing datasets. The CIC is also using these data to analyze viewsheds and where riparian This image is a combination of a picture taken from a helicopter and a LIDAR point cloud depicting the same area. While LIDAR data can plantings are likely to have the highest impact. We can help determine conservation opportunities at a parcel scale, analyze critical vary in quality and resolution, even a lower-density dataset, such as wildlife habitats, and create publishable maps of preserved properties or proposed projects. Additionally, the CIC can track fine this one, can depict very accurately the landscape that it represents, scale changes in land use to identify potential violations of conservation easements. including trees, land cover, and buildings.

12 2015 INNOVATION HIGHLIGHTS Land Cover Data Project

The Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) is a regional partnership of federal and state agencies, local governments, nonprofit organizations, and academic institutions that leads and directs Bay protection and restoration efforts. CBP uses data and technology to target restoration goals and activities. In June 2015, to enhance its efficiency and effectiveness, CBP initiated work with the CIC that will improve its core planning dataset of land cover, a critical dataset for the conservation movement.

What is land cover data? It is categorical information about the natural and human- made features that exist on the landscape. Think “buildings,” “tree canopy,” and “water.” Datasets vary in their resolution, or the on-the-ground area that they represent. The CIC is working to improve the resolution of the existing Bay-wide data by 900 times, thereby allowing CBP and its partners to make decisions that more closely and accurately reflect on-the-ground conditions.

The CIC’s 12-category land cover dataset will help guide broader conservation efforts and inform the most efficient use of resources in protecting and managing the John Smith Chesapeake Trail. This will enhance both visitors’ experiences and Bay water quality. Applying increased precision in the Chesapeake Bay TMDL models At one-meter resolution, the new land cover data (left) has 900x the amount of detail compared to the 30-meter resolution National Land Other special uses include identifying and protecting significant cultural resources or Cover Dataset (right). public access sites and predicting possible archeological and American Indian sites along This upgrade is a giant step forward for the Chesapeake Bay Program, whose modelers will use the new data to increase the accuracy and the trail. precision with which they estimate pollution loads to the Bay.

Green Infrastructure Report

To demonstrate the utility of the land cover data, the Chesapeake Conservancy produced the Green Infrastructure Report: Baltimore City to describe and promote three new technology resources to help guide future projects to expand and strengthen the region’s new network of green infrastructure in the Greater Baltimore Region. These resources can be used to advance goals to conserve existing green spaces, restore degraded lands, and connect citizens to the city’s natural resources. The report includes Baltimore City Land Cover Classification, which provides high-accuracy estimates of tree canopy cover and impervious surface to help prioritize areas for conservation and/or restoration and a Vacant Lot Opportunities Analyst, which identifies which of Baltimore’s estimated 17,000 vacant lots are suitable for certain green infrastructure projects (e.g. neighborhood park) using criteria outlined in the city’s Green Pattern Book.

The third resource described in the report—Park Finder: Baltimore—is a web-based application that enables users to find public open spaces in Baltimore City. Users can enter an address in a desktop web-browser or mobile device to display which public open spaces are within a 5-, 10-, or 15-minute walk from that location. Each open space entry includes a direct link to Google Maps, pre-configured with walking directions from the provided location. As the population and the medical profession link better health to exercise and outdoor recreation, our park finder app offers a model for connecting people to nearby open spaces.

13 Organizations AEGON Transamerica Foundation Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Annapolis Towne Centre BB&T Baird Foundation, Inc. 2015 DONORS Bancroft Foundation Beveridge & Diamond, P.C. BoatUS Foundation Brown Advisory Bunting Family Foundation Central National-Gottesman Foundation Cherry Bekaert, LLP Chesapeake Bay Foundation Chesapeake Contracting Group Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County The Conservation Fund Delmarva Engineering Ecosystem Investment Partners Fair Play Foundation Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds Garden Club of Twenty Geo-Technology Associates, Inc. GreenVest Hogan Lovells Intel Corporation The James M. and Margaret V. Stine Foundation James River Association John G. & Jean R. Gosnell Foundation, Inc. Keith Campbell Foundation for the Environment Land Trust Alliance Lincoln Institute of Land Policy M&T Bank Main Street America Group Mariposa Fund The Martin Architectural Group Maryland Department of Commerce-Office of Tourism Maryland League of Conservation Voters Merck Foundation Merrill Family Foundation Mohawk Fine Papers, Inc. Mt. Cuba Center THANK YOU FOR YOUR DONATION SO THAT FUTURE GENERATIONS CAN ENJOY THE WONDERS OF THE CHESAPEAKE. PHOTO BY SCOTT MCDANIEL National Fish and Wildlife Foundation 14 National Park Foundation Stephen F. Harper Scott and Kathy Allan National Park Service Verna Harrison Ted and Georgie Berkinshaw National Parks Conservation Association Donald and Darby Hewes Ron and Mary Jo Bieberich The Oak Hill Fund Ed and Margie Jackson David Blitzer Olin Corporation Charitable Trust Glenn and Barbara Jackson Mike Caldwell Red Leaf Dairy Corner, LLC Randall Larrimore Heather Gartman Reliable Contracting Company, Inc. Lucie Lehmann Karl and Maureen Grizio Richard King Mellon Foundation Michael and Carolyn Marcian Chris and Meg Hankin Rust Insurance Agency, LLC Douglas Miller John and Gail Hanson Sacharuna Foundation Jeff More and Helen Quick Judi Herrmann and Phil Dunn Shared Earth Foundation John and Sue Neely Nancy Horne Shore Bancshares, Inc. Pat and Nancy Noonan William Hunter Skyline Technology Solutions Ed and Kathy Quinn Joe and Martha Janney Stephenson Pope Babcock Foundation Edward and Meghan Quinn Destry and Barbara Jarvis Sumner T. McKnight Foundation Rick Scobey and Bruce Ragsdale Harold and Joan Kaplan Terrain360 Nellie and Truman Semans Ruth Lane Town Creek Foundation Scott and Carol Ann Smallwood William Matuszeski TRACE International, Inc. Charlie Stek Mark Mobley U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Michael Walls Wyley Neal and Marie Allocca Virginia Environmental Endowment Gordon and Jean Wells Keith O’Connor and Jill Isenbarger The Wallace Genetic Foundation Douglas P. Wheeler Brendan and Susan O’Neill The Waverly Group, Inc. S. Jay Plager Welburn Management Kim Potember The Whiting-Turner Contracting Co. Great Blue Heron Club ($500-$999) Jim and Elizabeth Reid The Williams Companies Susan Borschel Susan Rogers Chip Collins U.S. Senator Paul Sarbanes Chad and Jody Couser Jay and Camilla Schwarz Captain John Smith Society ($1,000+) Eugene Cunningham Tracy and Jill Shea Anonymous (2) Roland Davies John and Lisa Sherwood Ed and Kathy Allenby Bonnie Duke Thomas and Karen Straehle Scott Beatty Betty Garrand Matt Trotta John and Sally Buzbee Kyle and Anne German John and Mary Kay Turner Mark and Vicky Collins George and Mandy Mahoney Hill and Alice Wellford Kevin and Kate Cooke Amy McPherson and Michael Curry Cherilyn Widell Jane Cooper and Philip Angell David and Kim Morrow Jane Danowitz Jimmy Slaughter Nick and Martina Dilks Bruce and Betsy Stefany Osprey Club ($100-$249) Jim and Sylvia Earl John and Kimberly Thacker Anonymous (5) Evelina Erickson and Van Vogel Skip and Linda Wieder Stephen and Eunice Adkins Elinor Farquhar Steven and Nancy Allenby Bob and Chris Friend A. J. Appleby John Kaul Greene Eagle Club ($250-$499) Robert Arnett Paul Hagen Jenn Aiosa and Rich O’Brien Lori Arnold Michael and Ann Hankin Chip and Sally Akridge Frank and Diane Atkinson 15 Pierre Bahizi Lois and Bob Gajdys Nancy Merrill Carol Barron Sarah Gallen Martin and Valentina Miller Don Baugh Nicole Dunn Garay Michael Mininsohn and Pamela Marks Hedrick Belin and Mary Bissell Linda Gaydos Susan Moerschel Margaret Beliveau Patty Gentry Mr. and Mrs. James E. Morley, Jr. Cynthia Bickford John R. Glennie Christine Murphy Bud and Bee Billups Michael Goralski Tayloe and Helen Murphy Gordon Binder Lynn and Judith Greenwalt Gary Myron Cheryl Bishop Mary Greiner John and Kathy Nash Ann Bissell John Griffin Mary Neall Bridget & James Blake Tim and Julia Hale Paul and Sandra Oliver Robert Boublitz Neal and Linda Halsey Julia L. Owen Margaret Bowman and David Hunter John and KiKu Hanes Kent G. Palcanis, DDS David and Sue Boyd Oscar and Sophia Harrell Mamie Parker Lea Bradley Alex Hirtle Sheila Pashayan Jane Bridgeman Deborah Honecker Steve and Polly Percy George Brill Tony Horton David and Kata Petty Warren Brown Brooks and Joan Hubbert Venus Raymond Bruce and Nancy Bugbee Alexa Iaquinto Charles and Kathleen Reif Susan Bulleit Susan Israel Leigh Reiley David Burke Janko and Sallie Jackson Rosemarie Retacco James Buttinger Melissa James John and Barbara Reynolds Ellen Cahn James Jarvis Marilyn Rhodovi Bob and Jona Capra Elizabeth Johnson Bob and Joan Rich Rachel Carren James Jones Brenda Rion Jane and Jerry Chambers Bobbie Karpaitis Ruth Robinson Barbara Cook Laura Kerruish Kathy Roush Joseph Cordone Robin Kessler Geri Ruffino Janet Courtemanche Emilie Knud-Hansen Jeff and Phyllis Sabot Ken and Lillie Crowley Steve Kover Dan Sakura and Angela Kramer Paula Day Patrick Leech Bill Scaife Keith and Judi Decker May Win Liu Marcelo Scarpa Carla Dinowitz Sylvia Lohr John A. and J. Luray Schaffner Nick DiPasquale Thomas E. Lovejoy Dan and Becky Scherr Joel Dunn Fred and Jean Lucas Deborah Schneider Lynda Eisenberg Jeffrey Lyons Priscilla Scudder Sarah Elder Joe and Anne Maroon Teresa Seeger Mrs. Samuel A. Elder Bruno and Grace Mattiello Robert and Audrey Shade Jim Ellis Tim and Marcia McBride Kathleen Shea Helen Evans Joseph McCauley and Julia Herrick Michael Shultz Diane Faulkner Ed McMahon Simon and Nancy Sidamon-Eristoff Ann Feldman Dennis W. Meadowcroft Tom and Debbie Siebert Sarah Ford Debby Meltz Beth Smith

16 Malinda Smyth Monty and Brenda Willey Bickerton Ajax Eastman Daniel Somers Judie Blanchard Devon Ellis Kristin Sorensen Pamela Boone Stuart Elsberg Rick and Jill Springer Richard Boulin Judy Evans Dan Stack Peter Bouxsein Frances Fackler Michael Stack Nickole Unterzuber Bowman Elaine Farrant Harold Standiford Mary Ann and William Boyer Jack Finkelstein and Frances Kessler Gloria Stearns Frederick Braman John Frack Linda Steele Barbara Brendle Jack Fromm Joyce Stefancik Judith Brennan Robert Gant and Candy Davis Frances M. Stek Lina Burchett Donald Gantzer Roger and Sally Stobbart Bill and Helga Butler Dave Geisel Amy Stolarski William and Marion Butler Charles Glenn Joan Stone Rebecca Byrd Andy Golden Lewis Strader Jane Cartney Naomi Gonyea Joan Barton Sundheim Jan Carver Linda Griffin Ann and Eric Swanson Mary E. Centore Stephen Griffith Renee Tammaro William Chandler Eric Gudas Linda Tatro Sylvia Chiofolo Lorenzo Leon Guerrero Sharon Thomas Sally Clark Ridge and Jill Hall Peter Turcik Thomas Clark Lacey Hankin Rebecca Visos Utz Conard Jan Hansman Gregory Vovak Mary Conery Cindy Happel Bob and Susan Wakefield Katherine Conway Jane Harrison Helen K. Wasser Judy Copeland Leah Haygood Mike and Dina Weiss J.A. Cote Philip and Carol Hearn Jon Wergin Jo-Ann Crane Eloise Hendrixson Louise Wisenbaker Dianne Crews Danalee Henkart David Wye Anthony Crute Pat Henson H. Douglas Cunningham Nancy Hisky Carol D’Agostino Linda Hoffecker Supporters ($25-$99) Carly Dean Mary Holthaus Anonymous (6) Paula Degen Geraldine Hopkins Francesca Adams Jennifer DeLancey Tim and Sally Hoyt Nancy Ainsworth Elaine Dennison Joseph Jaffa Gary and Barbara Allen Robert and Betty Dinker Theresa Kahler Arlene Anderson Jonathan and Dotty Doherty Barbara Keller Robert Artigiani Patrick and Candace Donoho Erskine and Marion Kelley Bob Austin Lee Dorman Mr. and Mrs. Kemp Thomas Badenoch Joyce Duffy-Bilanow Carolyn A. Kennedy Robert and Peggy Barry Janice Dunlap Lisa Kenyon Laurence Beck Catherine Duvall Holley Kilcullen Bonnie Becker Barbara Earley Ethan and Betty Kline Kathy Berrier 17 Maureen Knotts Matt Olear Jeanne Toulotte Theodore Koons Sylvia Oliver Anthony Trenkle Marina Kyriacou Marilyn Paolucci Conchita Tuers Dick Lahn Sean and Giana Phelan Claire Valentine Richard and Janet Lane Brenda Ploegstra Joan Vogel Linda Laramy Robert Pope Stan and Gail Watkins Rebecca Lawson Paul and Susan Potyraj Diana Weatherby Carol Leach Glen Pyles Alan Webb Jean LeGros Jeffrey and Reena Racki Owen Weislow Ruby Lehman Amy Reams Barbara Wellner Cathrine Lewis William and Joan Reaves Raymond and Tara Wenzel Lynn G. Llewellyn Gary and Lynn Reisman Eric Whisenhunt Sandra Lord Anne Rensberger Donald Williams Connie Ludvigsen William Rienhoff Patrick and Darlene Wilson Judith Mabry Craig and Joyce Riley Barbara L. Winner Leslie Magalis Jennifer Riley Kathy Wright Louise Mann Janis Ritter Margaret Young Bob Marshall Judith Roth Kevin McCarthy Jon and Joyce Roush Mary McCormick Robin Sabatini In-Kind Gifts Jeanne McDearmon Irene Saccucci Annapolis Tours by Watermark Thomas and Kathryn McGraw Richard Shakeshaft District Photo Inc. Debby McIntosh Marilyn Shangraw Harry Browne’s Jane McWilliams Barbara Sherry Tray Inc., Eric Swanson Terry Meisner Thomas and Kris Shock What’s Up? Media John and Alice Mennitt Kathleen Shultz World Class Flowers E. Jane Menzel Glenna Simmons Pierre Mertz Mary Ann Smith Matching Gifts Julia Metcalf Patty Smith (Companies that have matched their employees’ gifts) Rebecca Meyer Susan Snowden Baird Foundation, Inc. Mary Miles Frank Sortino Keith Campbell Foundation for the Environment Jan Paul Miller Judith Stearns Main Street America Group Robert and Eileen Moore Sarah Stolte Merck Foundation Ed and Eileen Mowle Ralph Swan Olin Corporation Charitable Trust James Mullin Jamie Tammariello Pew Charitable Trusts Lea Mulqueen Noel Tavano The Williams Companies Kathy Musso Marjorie Taylor Pete Neal Julian Teixeira Kenrad and Karen Nelson Bill Thomas and Carolyn Krenzer Nina Nichols Marguerite Thomas Joseph Noone Jacob Thompson Catherine North Peter Thompson and Lisa Gingrich Joanna Ogburn Bill and Carol Titus

18 In Honor/In Memorium James Buttinger, in honor of Woody the Osprey Central National-Gottesman Foundation, in honor of Robert Friend Carol D’Agostino, in honor of her business’s 10th year Alexa Iaquinto, in celebration of the life of Jennifer Lantrip John G. & Jean R. Gosnell Foundation, Inc., in honor of Jack Gosnell Erskine and Marion Kelley, in honor of George Lock’s 90th birthday Bill and Carol Titus, in recognition of Kate Baker

National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis with the combined staffs of the National Park Service Chesapeake Bay Office and the Chesapeake Conservancy PHOTO BY VINCE LUPO

The Chesapeake Conservancy’s mission is to strengthen the connection between people and the watershed, conserve the landscapes and special places that sustain the Chesapeake’s unique natural and cultural resources, and restore landscapes, rivers, and habitats in the Chesapeake Bay region.

To learn more about the Chesapeake Conservancy, please visit our website at www.chesapeakeconservancy.org and watch our video, “You are the Chesapeake.”

PHOTO BY JODY COUSER 19 Paul E. Hagen, Chairman Beveridge & Diamond, P.C. Douglas P. Wheeler, Vice Chairman Partner, Hogan Lovells 2015 BOARD OF Lloyd L. (Scott) Beatty Jr., Treasurer President and Chief Operating Officer, Shore Bancshares, Inc. Dr. Mamie Parker, Secretary DIRECTORS Assistant Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Retired Stephen R. Adkins Chief, Chickahominy Tribe Jane Danowitz Senior Officer, Environment for The Pew Charitable Trusts Nicholas H. Dilks Partner, Ecosystem Investment Partners Robert E. Friend Executive Vice President, District Photo, Inc. Heather Gartman Managing Director, Chandler Chicco Agency Robert Gensler Vice President and Portfolio Manager, T. Rowe Price, Retired Michael D. Hankin President and Chief Executive Officer, Brown Advisory Stephen Harper Global Director of Environment and Energy Policy, Intel Corporation Verna Harrison Principal, Verna Harrison Associates, LLC Page Hayhurst Executive Director, Virginia Living Museum 2015 CHESAPEAKE CONSERVANCY BOARD OF DIRECTORS PHOTO BY JODY COUSER 20 Ann W. Loomis Chesapeake Council: Director, Federal Public Policy, Dominion David Blitzer Jeffery More Keith Campbell Principal, The Alpine Group Charles H. “Chip” Collins Dr. Wilton “Wilt” Corkern H. Turney McKnight Lavinia Currier President, Sumner T. McKnight Foundation Dr. Sylvia Earle Elinor Farquhar Patrick F. Noonan John R. Griffin Chairman Emeritus, The Conservation Fund Amanda Savage Mahoney Ed McMahon Nancy Merrill Honorary Board Members: Joan Murray John Neely Gilbert M. Grosvenor John Reynolds Chairman Emeritus, National Geographic Society Truman Semans, Sr. Ann Swanson PHOTO BY PETER TURCIK U.S. Senator Paul Sarbanes John Turner Project Coordinator Lacey Hankin explores the “Ghost Ships” of Mallows Bay - Potomac River during Maryland, Retired Steven Williams a river cleanup in 2015. Charles A. Stek President, Environmental Stewardship Strategies

U.S. Senator John Warner Virginia, Retired

Juvenile peregrine falcons on the 33rd floor of the Transamerica Building, featured on the Chesapeake Conservancy’s webcam. PHOTO BY CRAIG KOPPIE 21 Joel Dunn - President and CEO Jenn Aiosa - Director of Conservation Programs Jeffrey Allenby - Director of Conservation Technology Kate Baker - Partnership Coordinator David Burke - Conservation & Strategic Planning Senior Advisor Jody Hedeman Couser - Director of Communications Carly Dean - Project Manager STAFF Sarah Elder - Director of Operations Evelina Erickson - Director of Development Regan Gifford - Envision the James Outreach Coordinator Lacey Hankin - Project Coordinator Chigo Ibeh - Geospatial Analyst Louis Keddell - Geospatial Analyst Cassie Kluse - Geospatial Analyst Emily Myron - Project Manager Joanna Ogburn - Senior Conservation Advisor Cassandra Pallai - Geospatial Project Manager Conor Phelan - Conservation Analyst Michael Shultz - Public Relations Advisor Helen Sieracki - Development Coordinator Kyle Smith - Executive Assistant Colin Stief - Solutions Engineer Peter Turcik - Grant Writer/Communications Assistant Kathryn Wesson - Geospatial Analyst Colleen Whitlock - Director of Administration

PHOTO BY SARAH ELDER Director of Programs Jenn Aiosa testifies before the Richmond County, Virginia, Board of Supervisors against a rezoning request for Fones Cliffs along the Rappahannock. PHOTO BY KENNY FLETCHER/CHESAPEAKE BAY FOUNDATION Members of the Chesapeake Conservancy staff collaborate at a strategic planning session. 22 COMBINED STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES AND CHANGES IN NET ASSETS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 2015 DECEMBER 31, 2015, WITH COMPARATIVE TOTALS FOR 2014. FINANCIAL REVENUE OVERVIEW FEDERAL AND STATE GRANTS 30%

2015 Financial Overview SUPPORT AND REVENUE 2015 TOTAL 2014 TOTAL Contributions and Grants $2,982,315 $1,373,133 CONTRIBUTIONS AND Federal and State Grants $1,295,892 $754,647 GRANTS 70%

TOTAL SUPPORT AND REVENUE $4,278,207 $2,127,780 EXPENSES EXPENSES 2015 TOTAL 2014 TOTAL FUNDRAISING 8% Program Services $2,072,081 $2,267,133 Management and General $364,088 $319,525 Fundraising $213,087 $235,704 MANAGEMENT AND GENERAL14% TOTAL EXPENSES $2,649,256 $2,822,362

CHANGE IN NET ASSETS $1,628,951 $(694,582) NET ASSETS, BEGINNING OF YEAR $3,462,817 $4,157,399 PROGRAM SERVICES NET ASSETS, END OF YEAR $5,091,768 $3,462,817 78% 23 716 Giddings Avenue, Suite 42 | Annapolis, Maryland 21401 chesapeakeconservancy.org | 443.321.3610

24