Meet the James River Buffer Program Staff!

Anne Marie Roberts, Middle James Restoration Manager, James River Association

Prior to joining JRA she worked for the Robert E. Lee Soil & Water Conservation District coordinating the Amherst Watershed Protection Program since 2004. She developed and managed the Amherst Tree Buffer Program for over 10 years, earning her the Chesapeake Bay’s Forest Champion Award in 2016.

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She looks forward to connecting with a wide range of landowners across the Middle James River Watershed and assisting them with improving their land and water, widely through the installation of forested riparian buffers. Anne Marie is located in JRA’s Scottsville Field Office. Anne Marie’s role in the JAMES RIVER BUFFER PROGRAM will be coordinating the program along with her counterpart at VDOF, Sarah Hagan, meeting with eligible landowners and walking them through their forest buffer project from start to finish.

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Sarah Hagan, Riparian Coordinator, VA Department of Forestry

Sarah is comfortable on the water, in the woods, and everywhere in between. Sarah began her career in watershed protection with the Friends of Rappahannock where she worked to implement riparian buffers and rain gardens while engaging the local community on issues related to their river and the Chesapeake Bay. She earned her Master of Environmental Management from Duke University, where her areas of focus were forest resource management and wetlands ecology. Sarah’s field of experience ranges from cruising timber in the pine thickets of North Carolina to establishing buffers in the Shenandoah Valley and beyond. Sarah is based out of DOF’s Headquarters in Charlottesville   Sarah’s role in the JAMES RIVER BUFFER PROGRAM will be project prioritization and outreach in conjunction with her JRA counterparts (Anne Marie and Amber), coordinating efforts of VDOF foresters within the watershed, working with contractors and agency partners, and tracking and reporting projects.

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Amber Ellis, Senior Watershed Restoration Manager, James River Association.

Amber is a James River watershed native, growing up in Powhatan County where her love of trees and water began. She earned a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from Virginia Tech and is a Professional Landscape Architect in Virginia. She started at JRA in 2010 as a Watershed Restoration Intern and Volunteer Coordinator and is now leading restoration efforts across the watershed including riparian buffers, urban stormwater projects, and living shorelines. Amber is based out of JRA’s Headquarters in Richmond.  Amber’s role in the JAMES RIVER BUFFER PROGRAM will be will be leading the vision for the program to ensure it is addressing the needs of the James River most effectively, managing  partner relationships and collaboration opportunities, project reporting, and working alongside Anne Marie and Sarah to restore our riparian forests.

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