There's No Such Thing as a Free Ride

WTOP News, Anacostia Riverkeeper says proposed budget shift could leave free boat tours high and dry

From Friday Night Fishing to free boat tours, the Anacostia Riverkeeper program is designed to acquaint D.C. residents with the river and continue cleanup efforts.

But Anacostia Riverkeeper Trey Sherard told WTOP he’s concerned about a potential move of $1.8 million from river cleanup funding, which is part of the “Budget Support Act” that could allow for legal authority to make specific revenue changes. Under the plan, balances in dozens of dedicated tax and special purpose funds from the Riverkeeper could be shifted to the District’s General Fund.

D.C. is facing a $700 million shortfall this year — part of the $4 billion projected budget gap over the next five years. Sherard told WTOP that $1.8 million will come from the Anacostia River Clean Up Fund. “That fund is responsible for covering all of the free boat tours that we and other groups offer,” Sherard explained. “That fund is also responsible for funding all of our trash trap maintenance.” Sherard said thousands of pounds of trash are taken out of those trash traps every year — and that doesn’t include other cleanups throughout the year.

While the mayor’s budget plan includes funding for a variety of environmental goals, like remediation of hazardous materials in the Anacostia River, Sherard pointed out the Anacostia River Clean Up Fund is paid for through the District of Columbia’s bag fee. That’s the nickel added to your bill if you opt to get a paper or plastic bag at the checkout counter.

Sherard said the law that created that fee stipulated that the money from the bag fee would be restricted to paying for cleaning and protecting the Anacostia River, adding that it should not be shifted to the general fund. Other groups, including City Wildlife and the Rock Creek Conservancy, are also lobbying to keep the money from being shifted to D.C.’s general fund.

D.C. Council’s Committee on Transportation and the Environment is holding its budget oversight hearing Monday at 9:30 a.m. to discuss the plan.

What as shame that people might miss such fine sights as the trash boom at Anacostia Park.