Stopping and reversing urban sprawl is seen as essential for bringing the Potomac River back to good health according to a recent report by the Potomac Conservancy. The report cites three land use scenarios for metro Washington from the present until 2030. The “Current Growth” (business-as-usual) scenario shows the amount of agricultural land and forests/wetlands dropping substantially while the amount of developed land skyrockets.

In order to ensure that the “Ecologically Sustainable Growth” scenario is instead achieved it is necessary that RF targets on agricultural land preservation open space protection prioritizing development in transit-accessible activity centers and improving the condition of the region’s watersheds are strictly met if not exceeded.