A Conversation with MillerCoors Grant Finalist -Dan River Basin Association

The Dan River meanders through a largely rural, economically stressed borderland of piedmont Virginia and North Carolina. Historically dependent on tobacco, farmers in the basin are being introduced to new programs aimed at transitioning to other crops that are both profitable and have less impact on water quality. The Dan River Basin Association is competing for a $25,000 grant to work with local landowners and farmers in order to improve water quality in the region.

Q and A with the Dan River Basin Association

RN: Why are local watershed protection programs like yours so important?

DRBA: Our rivers are only as healthy as the land that surrounds them. Landowners decide what happens on their land. Local programs led by folks who know the lay of the land can connect and share information with farmers and other landowners in ways that make sense and lead to long-term changes in land use practices.

RN: Describe an accomplishment for which your organization is particularly proud.

DRBA: Our work led to the acquisition of thousands of acres of land for a new Mayo River State Park in North Carolina. Building on that success, DRBA worked with the state of Virginia to acquire land for an adjacent state park (also along the Mayo, a tributary of the Dan) to create a unique bi-state park with secured scenic river status and long-term protection of important lands in the river corridor.

RN: Why do you think people should vote for your organization?

DRBA: Our organization has a reputation for getting things done and having a lasting impact. More than 7 million barrels of beer come from the Dan River annually, and these funds will allow DRBA to improve water quality in an area for which we made an investment and local connections but lack sufficient funding to launch these new projects.

RN: Thanks for all you are doing to protect and restore water quality in the Dan River Basin of North Carolina and Virginia.

View project summaries from the MillerCoors-River Network Watershed Protection Grant competition and cast your vote today!