Letter from the Chairs:
Why the Goose Creek Association Matters—

Throughout the history of the Goose Creek Association (GCA), this small organization had been relevant to our area by leading and participating, along with other environmental and historic organizations, on many issues. We’ve helped make a difference by being specific in our love and attention to the Goose Creek watershed.

That is why we still matter. We are still at a size that is meaningful and accessible to all those in the Goose Creek watershed who want to contribute to keeping this area as beautiful and pristine as it can be.

For instance, The Little River Rural Historic District was a glimmer in many citizens’ eyes for several years, but it took the GCA to organize, raise the funds and get it done. On February 14, 2014 (happy Valentines’ Day!), The National Register of Historic Resources accepted the Little River Rural Historic District into its fold. Northern Fauquier is now virtually covered with historic districts, the majority of which the GCA sponsored.

GCA also sponsored the Beaverdam Creek Rural Historic Roads District in Loudoun County and will continue to sponsor historic districts throughout the watershed. Historic Districts slow down public works, roads, and development, while enabling residents to obtain tax credits to restore contributing resources such as their homes.

Further, GCA’s ongoing stream and water quality monitoring program is one of the oldest such voluntary programs in the state. The counties are sporadically stream monitoring in some impaired areas, but GCA actually has trained some of those folks to do what we’ve been doing for over ten years. GCA did not wait for the Goose Creek to become impaired to establish benchmarks for our watershed. We are committed to educating the future generation about the importance of Goose Creek and are demonstrating this stewardship with school children as part of our educational mission.

We also involve students and volunteers in our Goose Creek Challenge tree-planting program:

• + 3 farms planted
• + 5 schools and numerous adult volunteers were involved
• + >2,000 trees, shrubs and live stakes
• + 7,250 linear feet of stream bank protected

=A Cleaner Watershed

GCA will continue to exist as long as we have the resources and volunteers to make a meaningful impact on the historic and pristine Goose Creek watershed. Please join us on the Board, as a contributor, and as a volunteer to continue to make GCA matter.

Sincerely yours,

Lori Keenan McGuinness
Fauquier, Co-Chair

Bonnie Mattingly
Loudoun, Co-Chair