DUMBARTON OAKS PARK CONSERVANCY INC

PRESERVATION AND RESTORATION:THE MISSION OF DUMBARTON OAKS PARK CONSERVANCY (DOPC) IS TO RESTORE, PROMOTE AND MAINTAIN DUMBARTON OAKS PARK NOW AND FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. A 35 ACRE PASTORAL OASIS IN THE MIDDLE OF GEORGETOWN, DUMBARTON OAKS PARK IS THE WOODLAND AND MEADOW PORTION OF MILDRED AND ROBERT WOOD BLISS ORIGINAL 53-ACRE DUMBARTON OAKS ESTATE.(CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2, PRESERVATION AND RESTORATION)ONE OF THE FINEST GARDEN DESIGNS IN AMERICAN LANDSCAPE HISTORY, IT IS THE MASTER WORK OF BEATRIX FARRAND, AMERICA'S FIRST WOMAN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT. FARRAND'S 1921 LANDSCAPE DESIGN CREATED A PROGRESSION FROM FORMAL GARDEN ROOMS NEAR THE MAIN HOUSE TO LESS FORMAL AREAS DOWN THE HILLSIDE, BEFORE FLOWING INTO A NATURALISTIC WOODLAND GARDEN IN THE STREAM VALLEY. THIS "WILD" PORTION OF THE ESTATE IS A HIGHLY DESIGNED COMPOSITION OF MEADOWS, WOODS, AND STREAM, WITH WATERFALLS, BRIDGES, AND A REFLECTING POND DEFINING THE LANDSCAPE. IN 1940, THE BLISSES DONATED THE NATURALISTIC PORTION OF THE GARDEN TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AS A PUBLIC PARK, OVERSEEN TODAY BY THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE (NPS) AS DUMBARTON OAKS PARK. THE PARK IS EMERGING FROM ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS AFTER FOURTEEN YEARS OF DUMBARTON OAKS PARK CONSERVANCY'S DEDICATION TO ITS RESTORATION AND CONSERVATION. THIS WORK INCLUDES THE REMOVAL OF INVASIVE PLANTS THAT OVERRUN THE WOODS AND MEADOWS, REPAIRING AND PROTECTING CRUMBLING STONEWORK, AND ADDRESSING STORMWATER RUNOFF INTO THE VALLEY THAT ERODES THE HILLSIDES, UNDERMINES THE HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT TREES, SILTS UP THE STREAM AND PONDS AND UNDERCUTS THE DECORATIVE WATERFALLS. DOPC, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NPS, IS TACKLING THESE SIGNIFICANT AND COSTLY CHALLENGES.DOPC PERFORMS THIS WORK THROUGH A PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP WITH NPS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING SIGNED IN 2011, AND FOLLOWED BY A 2016 MASTER COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT AND A 2016 FRIENDS GROUP AGREEMENT, ALONG WITH MUTUALLY AGREED UPON ANNUAL WORK PLANS. THE FRIENDS GROUP AGREEMENT IS CURRENTLY BEING UPDATED TO A NEW PHILANTHROPIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT. THE ANNUAL WORK PLANS ARE GUIDED BY A 1997 LANDSCAPE PRESERVATION MAINTENANCE PLAN AND A CULTURAL LANDSCAPE REPORT PART I AND PART II, ALL WRITTEN EXPRESSLY FOR THE RESTORATION OF DUMBARTON OAKS PARK.THE RESTORATION AND MAINTENANCE OF DUMBARTON OAKS PARK IS ENTIRELY FUNDED BY DOPC'S WORK TO ENGAGE DONORS, SEEK GRANTS, FACILITATE VOLUNTEER ENGAGEMENT, AND THE DONATION OF IN-KIND SERVICES. THE TOOLS USED BY DOPC AND THE NPS ARE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, THE DEVELOPMENT OF A ROBUST VOLUNTEER CORPS, AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A SUCCESSFUL ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAM.IN 2024, THE BREADTH OF THE PRESERVATION AND RESTORATION PROJECTS INITIATED, FUNDED, AND COMPLETED ARE THE FOLLOWING:- STREAM VALLEY PROJECT, PHASE III COMPLETE WITH THOUSANDS OF NATIVE PLANTS, IN VARIOUS FORMATS (SEED, PLUG, CONTAINER, ROOT BALL) SUCCESSFULLY INSTALLED. THE SVP IS NOW UNDER AN ONGOING MAINTENANCE DETAIL. THIS PROJECT IS FUNDED BY THE NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION AND INDIVIDUAL DONORS WHO ARE CHANGE MAKERS SHOWCASING THE POWER OF PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP TO SAVE A LANDSCAPE THAT HASN'T RECEIVED PRIORITY TREATMENT OR FUNDING AND YET IS ONE OF THE GREATEST LANDSCAPE DESIGNS OF THE 20TH CENTURY. - WAYSIDE AND WAYFINDING SIGNAGE MASTER PLAN FOR DUMBARTON OAKS PARK ENTRANCES ARE IN THE PLANNING PHASE. ONE NEW SIGN HAS BEEN INSTALLED THUS FAR AND IS LOCATED AT THE TOP OF LOVERS LANE R ST ENTRANCE. IT WAS FUNDED BY A GRANT FROM THE DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION.- FOREST MANAGEMENT OF THE MATURE TREES IN FARRAND'S DESIGN, INCLUDING THE AMERICAN BEECH GROVE.- MEADOW MAINTENANCE OF FARRAND'S FIVE MEADOW ROOMS RESTORED TO WARM SEASON NATIVE GRASSES.- PARK-WIDE MITIGATION OF STORMWATER DAMAGE THROUGH TRIAGE AND CONCEPT DESIGN FOR A STORMWATER CONVEYANCE SYSTEM TO PROTECT PARK RESOURCES.- DOPC GREEN JOBS & GREEN TECH SKILLS TRAINING FOR AT-RISK YOUTH ENGAGED IN PARK RESTORATION, STEWARDSHIP, AND ADVOCACY.- SKILLING FOR THE DOPC INTERNSHIP AND FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS FROM LOCAL UNIVERSITIES.DOPC'S CONSISTENT WORK TO RESTORE, PROMOTE, AND MAINTAIN THIS HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT LANDSCAPE BRINGS NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION. WITH EACH COMPLETED RESTORATION PROJECT, DOPC'S DEVELOPED DESIGN PROCESS SERVES AS A MODEL FOR OTHER LIKE-MINDED RESTORATION ORGANIZATIONS.THIS WORK HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED WITH THE EXTRAORDINARY EFFORTS OF OVER 110,218 VOLUNTEER STEWARDSHIP HOURS SINCE INCEPTION, WITH 848 VOLUNTEERS FROM THE COMMUNITY HAVING CONTRIBUTED OVER 7468 HOURS IN 2024. THESE HOURS ARE 1718 MORE THAN CONTRIBUTED IN 2023.PROTECTING THE PARK'S NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES IS AT THE FOREFRONT OF DOPC'S CRITICAL WORK. FROM THE ONSET, DOPC IS CONSISTENTLY ENGAGED IN PARK-WIDE PLANNING OF STORMWATER CONVEYANCE SYSTEMS TO MITIGATE STORMWATER DAMAGE AND SUPPORT SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT.CATALOGUE FOR PHILANTHROPY: GREATER WASHINGTON RECOGNIZES DOPC AS ONE OF THE BEST COMMUNITY-BASED NONPROFITS IN THE REGION IN THE CLASSES OF 2015/16, 2017/18, 2019/20, 2020/21, 2022/23, 2023/24, 2024/25.