History

Since its formation in 1972 the CRPA has been committed to preserving "this magnificent river and its tributaries".

And it's reassuring to know that its vigilance and hard work have been rewarded. In the intervening 30+ years the CRPA has…

• by working with the Federal Power Commission, helped to minimize the visibility of power lines at river crossings and in other scenic areas of Bath and Highland Counties
• led opposition to construction of a pumping station on the Cowpasture
• taken a pro-active position to protect the Cowpasture watershed by participating in the revised George Washington National Forest long-range management plan
• purchased chemical monitoring equipment and established a year- round water quality monitoring program on the Cowpasture.
• funded a professional biologist's research on the Cowpasture
• sponsored teacher training through the Chesapeake Bay Foundation
• supported the water-studies learning of over 200 6-7th grade students

As a part of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed community, the CRPA is a stunning example of how citizens can come together to maintain water quality even as their regions develop. A doctoral student whose thesis is on Cowpasture water quality said it well: "[I]t is important to stress that by protecting the Cowpasture River, one is not only protecting a single and valuable river system, but it also is protecting the extremely important headwaters of the largest drainage in the state, namely the James River Basin.""

By-laws
The CRPA is a Corporation and like all corporations operates under rules. The initial rules for the corporation were established when the CRPA was formed and they are called the "Articles of Incorporation". These are filed with the State of Virginia and establish the legal regulations under which the CRPA must operate.

The other rules that the CRPA operates under are the BY-LAWS. These were created by the founding members and establish the basis for the day-to-day operations. The CRPA BY-LAWS contain nine articles that address the CRPA functions. The board of directors can change these By-Laws at any time to accommodate changes in the organization. The nine articles are:

• Article I - Membership
• Article 11 - Meetings of Members
• Article III - Board of Directors
• Article IV - Executive Committee
• Article V - Officers
• Article VI - Seal
• Article VII - Dues
• Article VIII - Rules of Order
• Article IX - Amendments

The full text of the BY-LAWS is available in .PDF. - BYLAWS_Mod.pdf