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William Willis appointed Pa. Commissioner

The ICPRB staff and commissioners welcome William J. Willis as a Pennsylvania commissioner. Willis teaches at the Mercersburg Academy in Mercersburg, Pa., where he is the Director of Environmental Initiatives and an environmental science teacher.

Willis led the creation of an environmental master plan for the school, and chairs the environmental committee. His efforts cover environmental initiatives in all elements of school life, including facilities, student engagement, community outreach, residential life, administrative planning, and curriculum. He also conducts monthly stream monitoring with students and local citizens as a cofounder of the Johnston Run Revitalization Team.

Since coming to the academy in 2001, Willis has worked in many other aspects of the school, including director of International Programs, and alumni and annual giving.

Willis previously worked in education marketing and served as director of the nonprofit Bitterroot Ecological Resources, Inc., working to increase public awareness and engagement in the Bitterroot River Valley in Montana.

Willis past and current activities make him well-suited to help with similar efforts in the Potomac watershed, and ICPRB looks forward to seeing his science and outreach skills bring a positive impact. Welcome aboard!

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ICPRB Working Cooperatively to Improve Cleanup Accuracy

A new study by ICPRB biologist Claire Buchanan and other authors has provided an improved method for assessing nutrient levels in the surface waters of the Chesapeake Bay and will provide an improved way to judge the effects of nutrient reduction best management practices. The regional Chesapeake Bay cleanup is based on reducing nutrients and sediments to restore the waterway’s health. Excessive nutrient levels contribute to algae blooms that cause a succession of water quality problems. Buchanan teamed with scientists from the University of Maryland, the Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Geological Survey, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, and the Chesapeake Research Consortium to produce Nutrient limitation of phytoplankton in Chesapeake Bay: Development of an empirical approach for water-quality management.

The model can help direct future efforts in nutrient reduction through improved modeling that can increase effectiveness and reduce costs. Future research will focus on the Potomac and other bay tidal tributaries.

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ICPRB welcomes Bay Executive Council Statement on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice

The ICPRB welcomes the Statement in Support of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice signed on August 18, 2020 by the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) Executive Council, which includes all parties to the ICPRB Compact.  As a longstanding CBP participant and partner, the ICPRB fully shares the commitments articulated in the above-referenced Statement, which echo and amplify references in the ICPRB’s Manual of Operations and the recently adopted ICPRB Revised Strategic Plan for 2020-2023 to a diverse workforce, broader outreach, marginalized/vulnerable communities and environmental justice.