200 Gathered for the Three February Watershed Strategic Plan Workshops

Thanks to many, many of you, the Jones Falls Watershed Strategic Plan is off to a great start with 200 enthusiastic and knowledgeable individuals attending the three listening sessions!

Rebecca Winer-Skonovd of Biohabitats, FTJF’s consultant firm, presented an overview of the Plan’s goals and processes at the three February events – also available on the Watershed website. Adam Lindquist of the Waterfront Partnership spoke at two of the sessions on the history of the Jones Falls, reminding everyone of the importance of this effort for the watershed that ultimately flows into the Inner Harbor.

Each of these introductory presentations was then followed by tabled breakout groups organized around the following Watershed topics: Water Quality & Stream Health; Habitat & Biodiversity; Access, Recreation & Public Space; Land Use, Infrastructure & Flooding; and, History, Culture & Community Stewardship. Illustrative maps relating to each were at the tables along with a brainstorming facilitator and scribe.

Participants were assigned to two of their preferred topics among the five. Survey forms were completed as a means of starting the 45-minute facilitated sessions, then turned in afterwards. The ones I participated in were very exciting, reinforcing for me the public interest in and importance of this effort. In all, we received over 150 survey forms that Rebecca and her team are presently reviewing and analyzing.

I concluded each of the sessions with a reminder that this is the first-ever resident-led planning effort that will inform both City and County elected officials of the importance of and ways to protect and enhance the Watershed for generations to come.

Many well-deserved thanks go to the hosting stakeholder organizations, the Irvine Nature Center, MICA and The Park School, for providing the meeting space and session facilitators!

We will be putting on follow-up sessions this fall to share draft recommendations and gather further input, so please let’s stay in touch.

-Al Barry, FTJF Board Member, Jones Falls Strategic Plan Chair, ababalt@yahoo.com