By Brett VandenHeuvel, Executive Director
After this divisive election, we need to come together to protect what we love. We must act. Here are Riverkeeper’s plans:
- Be inclusive. First, we will work to be more inclusive of everyone in our communities. We will take the time to show kindness and respect, and learn from each other. This is an important lesson.
- Focus on the local. Together, we can make tremendous positive changes at the local and state level and have a global impact. We must expect more from our local leaders and support them in doing more. We pushed Portland, for example, to ban new, large-scale fossil fuel infrastructure. A President cannot undo this. We can also prevail over coal, oil, and methanol when local and state leaders deny permits.
- Keep informed. Our work to test the river to make sure it is safe to swim will continue during a new administration. We will collect data and steward our river.
- Be aggressive. We need watchdog organizations now more than ever. We will redouble our efforts organizing communities, building local leadership, and enforcing environmental laws. We will fight for clean water.
- Grow. Thanks to you, Riverkeeper has grown to over 12,000 members. As the threats increase, we will grow stronger, amplify our voice, and meet more challenges. As we grow, we will remain bold, nimble, and driven.
Of course we must play defense too. We will challenge executive policies that harm clean water and clean air. If Congress attempts to repeal our nation’s bedrock environmental laws—the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, and Endangered Species Act—we will stand with national allies to defend the laws. Despite many attempts since 1972 to gut them, the laws endure. They will continue to endure.
Protecting our water, air, and wildlife is extremely important to the American people. The Clean Water Act ranks among the most popular statutes ever passed. We must be vigilant to defend these laws, but I’m confident we can succeed.
We are looking forward. We are organizing. Thank you for being part of something bigger than yourself. And thank you for standing up for what you believe in.
