History

For years, people knew of both the enormous value of Rock Creek and the threats it faced, but there was no agency or organization that focused exclusively on this natural treasure. Several federal, state, and local agencies recognized the need for an organization that could be a voice for Rock Creek and worked together to launch a new organization to serve this purpose. In 2005, the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin (ICPRB) received a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to promote the formation of a group to focus on overcoming threats to Rock Creek. From this work, the Friends of Rock Creek’s Environment was formed. 

In 2011, the organization changed its name to Rock Creek Conservancy to better reflect the full scope of people-powered restoration its programs entails. In 2017, the Conservancy became a formal friends group (philanthropic partner) to Rock Creek Park of the National Park Service.