Rep. James Moran introduced legislation that would establish a $50 million annual grant program to fund land conservation efforts in the Washington area.
The National Capital Region and Land Conservation Act would authorize the National Park Service to match the amount of money that state and local governments invest in environmental and recreational projects on protected land near the Chesapeake Bay and Potomac River.
“Development density in our region is outpacing population growth by a four-to-one margin,” Moran said. “It’s unsustainable, and without increasing land preservation efforts, it will result in the continued decline of the Chesapeake Bay and Potomac River.”
The measure is co-sponsored by the region’s other members of Congress and has the support of more than 22 national and local conservation and government organizations, including the Nature Conservancy and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
The population of the Washington area has increased by 10 percent since 1990, while the amount of impermeable surfaces such as roads and parking lots has increased by 40 percent, according to Moran’s office.
Much of the rainwater runoff that cannot be absorbed by the artificial surfaces seeps into the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay. Pollutants in runoff are the greatest source of environmental destruction in the two bodies of water, poisoning fish and other wildlife.
The bill would update the Capper-Cramton Act of 1930, which created the National Capital Planning Commission that oversaw the purchase of all green space along the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, the George Washington Memorial Parkway and Rock Creek Parkway. The measure also implemented the blueprints for the National Mall and other protected areas surrounding Washington’s monuments.
The National Park Service has not determined its criteria for awarding cost-share grants.
“When Captain John Smith first explored the Potomac River, he saw vast unspoiled land,” said Patrick Noonan, chairman emeritus of the national Conservation Fund. “Although our region is much altered by history and growth, many natural treasures remain. Representative Moran’s bill will help us conserve our region’s heritage.”
