WHEREAS, since StreamSweepers' founding in 2013, the staff of the river maintenance and restoration organization has spent two summers helping to restore portions of the Robinson and Rapidan Rivers in the Commonwealth's verdant Piedmont; and

WHEREAS, in the summer of 2014, the StreamSweepers crew assessed the health of the rivers, conducted a river survey, marked areas containing large amounts of trash, and then hauled away the garbage and debris using canoes for transport; and

WHEREAS, watershed analyses also were part of StreamSweepers' work in 2014; crew members—mostly high school graduates and college students—conducted water quality testing and, at the conclusion of the summer project, wrote a report of their findings; and

WHEREAS, the idea for StreamSweepers first arose from a group of Orange County residents concerned about the trash they saw in the Rapidan River; the impetus grew to clean up the river, and a pilot project was sponsored by the Center for Natural Capital, a nonprofit organization that focuses on community economic development through ecosystem health; and

WHEREAS, the 13 StreamSweepers crew members for 2014 underwent a week of classroom training before conducting an ecological assessment and survey, and removing trash and debris from the Robinson and Rapidan Rivers; and

WHEREAS, a meticulous record of the trash that was recovered by StreamSweepers revealed that thousands of pounds of abandoned tires, plastics, metals, glass, and one abandoned sofa were removed from the rivers, then hauled by canoe to a removal site to be transported to a landfill; and

WHEREAS, StreamSweepers has received assistance and encouragement from many concerned citizens in Orange County and the surrounding area, including landowners whose property fronts the rivers, the Dominion Foundation, Woodberry Forest School, the Center for Natural Capital, and many others; and

WHEREAS, StreamSweepers plans to continue and expand its efforts in 2015 and beyond; the organization is committed to cleaning rivers, restoring ecosystems, and ensuring that present and future generations will benefit from and enjoy the Commonwealth's great beauty and bountiful natural resources; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend StreamSweepers for its efforts in the Piedmont region to preserve, restore, and clean Virginia's rivers so that they will be a healthy resource for all; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Michael Collins, executive director of the Center for Natural Capital, which sponsored the founding of StreamSweepers, as an expression of the General Assembly's respect and admiration for StreamSweepers' work to keep Virginia beautiful.