ACCOKEEK, MD - Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) today joined volunteers at the 18th Annual Potomac Watershed Clean-Up sponsored by the Alice Ferguson Foundation. Hoyer participated in this event for the sixth consecutive year, joining many local volunteers, scout groups and high school students. According to their website, the mission of the Foundation is to "provide experiences that encourage connections between people, the natural environment, farming and the cultural heritage of the Potomac River Watershed." The foundation also runs the Hard Bargain Farm Environmental Center which allows school children to experience a working farm, woods,
and wetlands.
Community collaboration, widespread partnerships, and concerned citizens have made this annual event the largest environmental cleanup of its kind in the region. "As stewards of the environment, we are responsible for preserving and protecting our natural resources not only for ourselves but for future generations," Hoyer said. "The health of our environment is dependent upon our commitment to its protection and preservation. We must do better to clean up our waterways."
Hoyer is one of 22 elected officials in the Washington Metropolitan Area to sign the Potomac Watershed Trash Treaty, which seeks to improve regional environmental strategies, promote awareness of trash issues and annually evaluate measures for improving trash reduction.
As a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, and the Committee's lone representative from Maryland, Congressman Hoyer has worked to secure millions of dollars in federal funds to help restore the ecological and economic health of the Potomac.
Since 1989, more than 2.5 million pounds of trash have been removed from the Potomac through the efforts of 35,000 volunteers and hundreds of partner organizations. This year, the cleanup will take place at over 300 sites throughout the watershed in 4 states and the District of Columbia.
"This watershed is an invaluable resource and I will continue to fight at the federal level for funding which supports the wildlife habitats, the world-class recreational opportunities on this waterway, and the enormous economic value the Potomac provides to the region," Hoyer concluded.
Related Information:
Trash Free Potomac Watershed Initiative
http://www.potomaccleanup.org/
Alice Ferguson Foundation
http://www.fergusonfoundation.org/