Mission, Vision, and Goals

Mission Statement

Through collective action leverage the conservation efforts of organizations dedicated to preserving and protecting a highly threatened portion of the Blue Ridge Mountains stretching from Shenandoah National Park to the Potomac River.

Vision

The Blue Ridge Conservation Alliance envisions a future where the Blue Ridge Mountains and the surrounding countryside between Shenandoah National Park and the Potomac River is appreciated and conserved as an important American landscape possessing an exceptional combination of significant ecological, cultural, scenic, and recreational resources.

Conservation Goals of the Alliance

The Blue Ridge Conservation Alliance seeks to preserve and protect the Blue Ridge Mountains and surrounding countryside between Shenandoah National Park to the Potomac River in order to:

1. Protect Water Quality and Supply. The Blue Ridge Mountains between Shenandoah National Park and the Potomac River lies within the Potomac River Watershed, an important public drinking water supply source for the Washington Metropolitan area and many other surrounding jurisdictions. Protection of the Blue Ridge as a largely forested and undeveloped area is an important component of protecting the region’s water quality and quantity in the future.

2. Protect the Blue Ridge’s Natural Heritage. Encroaching development, regional infrastructure projects, non-native invasive species and a host of other forces threaten the integrity of the Blue Ridge Mountains’ forests and streams; natural resources essential for sustaining the Blue Ridge Mountains’ diverse flora and fauna.

3. Preserve the Blue Ridge’s Cultural Heritage. The BRCA Focus Area encompasses a landscape that is blessed with a rich cultural history. From nationally recognized historic sites such Harpers Ferry to the less well known, the area’s landscape tells many stories of human exploration and settlement during times of both peace and war. Preservation of this cultural landscape contributes to a better understanding the political, economic and geographic forces that shaped not just the region, but the nation.

4. Preserve the Scenic Beauty of the Blue Ridge. Jefferson Rock. Bear’s Den. Ashby Gap. These names conjure up images of spectacular panoramic views of mountains and valleys, fields and forest, rivers and streams. These vistas–and countless others along the Blue Ridge–visually and seamlessly connect the natural beauty of the mountain with the surrounding historic and scenic countryside. Maintaining the integrity this landscape that encompasses the Blue Ridge Mountains and surrounding countryside is essential to maintaining the scenic beauty that has inspired visitors and residents for generations.