NCNR Mission Statement

LAND PROTECTION
NCNR protects land critical for preserving important wildlife habitat, rare and endangered species, cornerstones of biodiversity, and working farmland along the New River and its tributaries, through voluntary acquisitions and conservation easements.

RESTORATION
NCNR works with private landowners to stabilize eroding stream banks, restore riparian buffers to preventing further erosion, and to create healthy riparian habitat for wildlife and aquatic life.

ADVOCACY
NCNR works to increase citizens’ capacity to defend and protect the New River watershed, by working with local citizens to identify and address specific land and water use activities that threaten the New River’s health, wildlife, and scenery.

History of NCNR

NCNR was organized in 1974 to stop the construction of two dams on the New River. The proposed projects would have flooded 42,000 acres in North Carolina and southwestern Virginia. The dams would have displaced at a minimum 2,700 people, 893 dwellings, 42 summer cabins, 10 industrial establishments, 23 commercial facilities, five post offices, 15 churches, and 12 cemeteries.

With the destruction of so much land and property – and with the unaccountable damage to the New River itself, the fight became a national one.

NCNR was successful in 1976, when a 26.5-mile section of the River was designated a Federal Scenic River. NCNR continued to function as an advocate for the New as a volunteer organization. Over the years NCNR has worked with citizen groups to stop other ill-conceived projects on the River like a power plant, flood plain development and a prison.

In 1991, NCNR reorganized and became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The reorganization expanded NCNR’s mission by adding a land protection dimension to river advocacy. NCNR acquired its first conservation easement in 1993. To date NCNR has protected over 5,500 acres of land important to the health and natural resource values of the New River.

In response to rapid development and concerns about water quality, in 1998 NCNR began the River Builder program to help landowners stabilize eroding stream and riverbanks. The program has continued to expand; NCNR is now doing full restoration projects in addition to the stabilization work. To date NCNR has stabilized or restored more than 55 miles of stream and riverbank.

The NCNR Staff

George Santucci, Executive Director
George Santucci has been the Executive Director for the National Committee for the New River since mid-November 2005. From April 1998 to November 2005 he worked for North Carolina Cooperative Extensions Ashe Center as a 4H Program Associate, Outdoor Education. While with Extension, George started 4H Blue Ridge Conservation Corps a workforce preparation, academic and behavior improvement program for Ashe County high school students. BRCC did trail construction, park and river clean-ups, campsite construction and river restoration projects. He was introduced to the New River while running 4H's summer Wilderness Experience camping program.

Prior to his work with Extension, George was a high school Math teacher in the Bronx, an Instructor with the North Carolina Outward Bound School and an Adjunct Instructor in Appalachian State University's Recreation Management Department. He has paddled, biked and climbed along the New River. His passion for environmental conservation was intensified during four months spent leading Outward Bound Courses in the Florida Everglades. Seeing the wholesale alteration of an entire ecosystem as rare and unique as the Everglades lead him to dedicating his professional life to the preservation and protection of natural wild places.

Courtney Wait, Advocacy Coordinator
Courtney should have gills. Or at least some fins. It’s not like she grew up on a coastline—she’s originally from the middle of North Carolina—Cary to be specific. But she quickly immersed herself in the world of H2O, focusing her college studies at UNC Asheville on water quality issues. She surfaced having earned a B.S. in Environmental Studies with a concentration in pollution control.

Along the way, Courtney gathered experience in hydrology, limnology, and physical/chemical/biological testing. She even founded a campus recycling organization, and expanded its activities to include the local business community. And, as an intern at North Carolina Clean Water, she focused her learning in the field on sediment and erosion control.

Is it any wonder she found her way to NCNR? If you’ve talked with Courtney, you’ve probably noticed how contagious her passion for protecting our irreplaceable water resources is. And, she’s a real “doer” when it comes to protecting the New River. Over the summer, Courtney organized our efforts in North Carolina and Virginia for the annual Big Sweep River Clean Up. She recruited volunteers, sponsors, in-kind contributions, and jumped in the water herself that day, fishing out her share of tires, as well as other interesting trash.

Ben Lucas, Stewardship Coordinator
Ben is from Roanoke, Virginia, and grew up canoeing, fishing, camping and hunting along the River and is "really in love with it!" Ben graduated from Appalachian State University with a B.S. in geography and a concentration in GIS, a degree that has proven to be an asset to NCNR. Ben also completed courses in planning, hydrology, and physical/human geography, which strengthened his understanding of what is going on along the New. In addition to his coursework, Ben interned with the City of Roanoke, further sharpening his GIS skills and understanding of the workings of local governments. After taking a recreation management field course on the River, Ben decided working for NCNR might well be, "the best job I could get!"

Lynn Caldwell, Restoration Director
Lynn is a Granville County, North Carolina native, with a Watauga-county grandfather; growing up she visited our North Carolina service area frequently. She's a graduate of NC State and also earned a Degree in Veterinary Medicine from Tuskegee University. She practiced veterinary medicine for 20 years. In 2002, Lynn began working with NCNR as a volunteer and an advocate in the fight to stop a pipeline and power plant in Carroll County, Virginia. By 2004 she starting working with River Builders and is now in her fifth year directing the program to restore and enhance the New River's banks. Lynn and her husband, Paul, have two children, Sarah, 17, and Jeff, 12.

Chris Arvidson, Assistant Director
Christine is a veteran conservation professional having worked as Director of Communications for a regional land conservancy in northern Michigan for six years. During her tenure at the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy (GTRLC), the organization conducted a successful $32 million campaign to protect important coastal lands; she also served as interim Executive Director there in the spring of 2006. Prior to her work at GTRLC, Chris worked in communications and fundraising for nonprofit organizations including Habitat for Humanity and the UNC Charlotte Foundation; she has also worked in Washington, D.C.

A writer, Chris has earned an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from Goucher College, an MA in
Liberal Studies from UNC Charlotte, and a BA from Olivet College. She will be responsible for fundraising and communications activities at NCNR when she joins the staff full time on March 1st.

Jessi Martin, Administrative Assistant
Jessi has been NCNR's Administrative Asst. since June, 2007. She was introduced to NCNR when Annette Bednosky, our Executive Director's wife, recommended her to George for the job. Annette, a local school counselor, knew Jessi would be interested in working to protect the New River; she had always expressed her passion for and interest in the environment and nature. Jessi has lived in Ashe County since she was four years old. She has loved the New River and been involved in clean ups and races for many years. Jessi is also interested in English, zoology, biology, photography, camping, kayaking, canoeing, swimming, hiking, traveling, and meeting new friends. She will finish her Associate in Arts degree at Wilkes Community College in Spring 2008, and will transfer to Appalachian State in fall of 2008.