The Friends of the Shenandoah River with more than 75 volunteers monitoring 120 sites currently on a bi-monthly basis and having been working to protect the Shenandoah River and its tributaries through its monitoring program since 1989 is deeply concerned about the proposed rules.

Our laboratory has been certified by DEQ.  We have been strongly supported by the General Assembly with grant funds for automated equipment amounting to a total of about $125,000 including $65,000 for an equipment upgrade this year.

We are in the process of relocating our laboratory to new facilities at Shenandoah University from cramped quarters there as part of a new environmental program being established by the University.

We struggle every year to maintain adequate funding for our efforts through grants and donations along with membership dues.  We receive very modest support from the State and that support is not dependable (witness cancellation of the DEQ grant program last year because of the 5% budget reduction.) Without our highly motivated volunteer monitors who are highly trained and donate countless hours to our program we could not exist.

Imposing additional unnecessary expenses for our program will only discourage volunteer efforts.  If there were ever a time to avoid an increase in expenses for organizations such as ours it is now.

Unless there is a strong desire to discourage volunteer organizations such as the Friends of the Shenandoah River only the elimination of the proposed annual fees to organizations such as ours will head off that implication.

Voluntary citizen involvement in efforts to protect our rivers and streams is critical to the achievement of Clean Water goals of local, state and the Federal Government.  Don't make it more difficult.

Thank you.

Bernard C. Nagelvoort

Treasurer, FOSR