The Martinsville-Henry County area is experiencing a continuing high level of unemployment and out-migration of young people.  Studies reveal that the region needs to improve perception of quality of life, opportunities for adult recreation (rivers, trails, greenways), and health of local waterways.

According to the Virginia Commission on Local Government, the ability of the Martinsville area population to pay for governmental services is not growing as fast as the cost of the services, with both Martinsville and Henry County ranking above average in ratings of “fiscal stress.”  To improve the region’s quality of life, the Martinsville-Henry County region relies on partnerships between local government, community groups and not-for-profit organizations.

This project leverages the economic potential of natural resources to attract sustainable economic growth and make our area “the community of choice.”  DRBA and partners are developing an integrated, comprehensive and accessible network of natural areas, river access points, and trails. We are presenting and promoting tools for sound community planning, and we are implementing programs to ensure healthy waterways for clean drinking water, safe recreation, and profitable fisheries. 

Who We Are:
 
The Dan River Basin Association (DRBA) was organized in 2002 to preserve and promote the scenic rivers of this border region of piedmont North Carolina and Virginia. Faced with the decline of tobacco and textiles, our traditional economic bases, local leaders recognized the increasing importance of the abundant high-quality water in this 3,300 square-mile region. In addition to its economic value as a water source and its historical significance as a means of transportation, this river system can provide excellent recreational opportunities to the 1.5 million residents who live within an hour’s drive.

DRBA promotes the rivers for multiple uses, including recreation and commercial and municipal growth. With careful planning, preservation of natural and heritage resources and economic development can occur hand-in-hand. The rivers are the region’s unique and greatest resource and are at the center as the sixteen counties of the basin build a diverse and sustainable economy. Outdoor recreation is essential to the region’s quality of life and its ability to draw new investment.

DRBA works in partnership with localities and organizations across the region in support of a bi-state, watershed-wide community with a shared heritage and regional identity.  DRBA hosts recreational outings and provides educational and stewardship opportunities for children and adults. 

DRBA envisions a region where residents and visitors enjoy a high quality of life with easy access to clean and healthy rivers, streams, parks, trails and heritage attractions, amenities necessary to support a strong and vibrant local economy. 

Our People:

Katherine Mull, Executive Director since June, 2006, came to DRBA with twenty years experience in conservation, not-for-profit leadership, and watershed stewardship at local, state, and national levels. With business degrees from SUNY at Albany and UVA's Darden Graduate School of Business, she has held a number of management and planning positions in Northern Virginia, most recently as Senior Environmental Planner for the Northern Virginia Regional Commission, founded and led the Friends of Sugarland Run and the Herndon, VA Council for the Arts, and served as the Potomac Riverkeeper and Executive Director. In less than two years, she has brought national recognition and resources to the Dan River Basin Association.
 
A grant from The Harvest Foundation provided for the addition of full time staff in Henry County to enhance the organization’s efforts in developing new opportunities for residents and visitors to enjoy the outdoors, protect water quality of local rivers and streams, and expand educational programs for school children, such as Trout in the Classroom.

Jennifer Doss, DRBA’s Rivers and Trails Project Manager, has a B.S. degree in Biology and an Outdoor Education minor from Longwood University. Jennifer has been working in the field of Environmental and Outdoor Education for over seven years, creating and facilitating activities to engage both children and adults. During the time that Jennifer worked as a Park Interpreter for Virginia State Parks she gained experience in marketing programs, recruiting volunteers, and developing trails. Her experience led her to become the 2005 FOCUS for Customer Service Excellence Employee of the Year.

Brian Williams is DRBA’s Education, Outreach and Conservation Coordinator. He has a background in wildlife biology and fisheries, including breeding fish and reptiles, as well as in conservation, education and wildlife preservation. In 2006, Brian was introduced to Trout in the Classroom by Dr. David Jones, a Martinsville orthodontist. Brian has been a cornerstone of the program since that time, working as a volunteer to maintain 22 fish tanks across three counties while providing daily technical support to teachers in over 30 schools. His work has directly impacted over a thousand children and adults across Southern Virginia.

What We Do:

Promoting River Tourism and Sustainable Economic Development

• Outings: Conducting First Saturday Outings year-round (free-to-the-public paddle trips, hikes, river cleanups) to build constituency for our rivers, trails, and heritage resources
• Parks:
• Spearheaded establishment of Mayo River State Park in NC (Park has 4 full-time staff, nearly 2000 acres, over $8.5 million invested so far.)
• Secured legislation and hosted VA officials to conduct feasibility study for scenic river status and Mayo River state park in VA North and South Mayo rivers were named as Virginia Wild and Scenic Rivers in January, 2008. State park received positive recommendation for future funding.
• Constructing the Richard P. Gravely, Jr. Nature Preserve in Ridgeway, VA
• River Access Points:  Partnering with Henry County and City of Eden to develop public access points on Smith and Dan rivers for boating and fishing (five new river accesses in 2006 - 2007; three more underway in 2008)
• Trails:
• Developing and improving trails in Martinsville, Fieldale, Henry County, Eden, and Wentworth in partnership with governmental and civic groups
• Assisting in planning pilot trails program in Caswell County, NC
• Supporting development of rail trails in Patrick and Henry counties
• Basin Map: Creating basin-wide map showing natural, recreational, and heritage resources in print and on the web

Identifying and Solving Water Quality Problems

• Monitoring:
• Monitoring bacteria and sediment in Dan and Smith rivers, funded by in-kind donations and grants, including North Carolina Clean Water Management Trust Fund award
• Hosted two VA Tech interns who studied an impaired waterway in 2007
• Stream-side Buffers: Awarded grants from state and national organizations to restore streamside forest buffers and educate the public on their importance
• State Recognition: Memorandum of Understanding with VA Dept of Environmental Quality to partner on protecting Dan River watershed, signed in October, 2007

Educational Programs

• Trout-in-the-Classroom/Water Quality Monitoring: Partnering with Trout Unlimited on raising trout in the classroom and testing water quality before releasing them, reaching over 3000 children in Martinsville City and Patrick and Henry county schools (VA Gov. Tim Kaine participated in trout release at Bassett in May, 2007.)
• Teacher Training: Awarded grant to train teachers how to check stream health
• Displays: Providing booths and displays at festivals, museums, conferences, visitor centers, and public buildings
• River History: Promoting historic batteau navigation system through presentations, brochure, and purchase of 40-foot batteau replica Dan River, now commercially operated 

Our Hopes for the Future:

DRBA’s long term goals include establishing partnerships with regional groups and agencies to extend and connect existing trail systems along the Smith River corridor.   Creating a 45-mile trail system from Philpott Lake to Eden NC will expand recreational opportunities for the residents of Henry County, in addition to providing locations for multi-day events promoting tourism and generating revenue.

Additionally we plan continued support of the Trout in the Classroom Program and the Virginia Citizens Water Quality Monitoring Program.  A proven and effective partnership has been established that allows us to impact an increasingly broad spectrum of young people and adults alike, enabling the enhancement of our education and outreach efforts within the community.  Currently, Trout in the Classroom is expanding and will continue to do so with additional support and partnerships within the community.

Current watershed restoration projects are being implemented, including the streamside trees buffer planting projects.  The planting and restoration of riparian areas along with public education through brochures, signs and demonstrations, will have an immediate and long term impact on the sediment and pollution loads entering our river system through the watershed. This increased effort to repair and restore our streamside buffer areas will have a dramatic effect on river conditions, increasing the sustainability of the Smith River and its tributaries as healthy sources of drinking water and scenic areas for recreation, improving the quality of life throughout the region.