2005: Successful Year for Engaging, Empowering, & Advocating for the Protection of Georgia’s Rivers

2005 ANNUAL REPORT G E O R G I A R I V E R N E T WO R K

Georgia River Network’s 1st Annual Paddle Georgia event took place on the Chattahoochee River June 25 – July 1. Over 300 people joined in the event with 150 participants paddling the entire 110 miles from Buford Dam to Franklin. Along the way, participants had the opportunity to visit everything from nature centers to electric-generating facilities. Paddlers camped at nearby facilities, including schools, softball fields, and parks. Nightly activities at campsites included entertainment, games, and programs highlighting the river’s cultural and natural history. Joe Cook, who has traveled the length of the Chattahoochee from headwaters to the sea, led the trip.

Paddlers raised over $7000 for Georgia River Network and the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper through the Paddle Georgia Canoe-A-Thon. Like a walk-a-thon, each participant solicited donations on a per-mile basis. Those participants generating more than $350 had their registration fee reimbursed. The top money earners in the Canoe-a-thon also received prizes.

A special thanks goes to the sponsors and partners who made the event a success. Sponsors included Georgia Power, Earth Fare, Wildwood Outfitters, Patagonia, High Country

Outfitters, Wenonah, and REI. Partners included Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, Chattahoochee Nature Center, Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, City of Atlanta R.M. Clayton Water Reclamation Plant, and Carroll County Parks and Recreation.

ENGAGE: Paddle Georgia 2005 - 300 Participants, 110 Miles, 7 Days, 1 Great Time

“Paddle Georgia raised awareness of the issues impacting the Chattahoochee by bringing people and the media out to enjoy the river in a way that’s never been done before”-Sally Bethea, Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper

organizing news conferences, and sending out news releases Empower. In 2005, we empowered grassroots groups to make a real difference in the watersheds they work in by: • Organizing an educational and fun annual conference for

Georgia’s river advocates • Sponsoring regional workshops on important topics • Providing direct assistance, consultation, training,

information, and resources to citizens and river organizations • Providing a website that is an on-line resource for

information and tools, and provides a directory of GA river groups to connect citizens with efforts in their communities

• Publishing a quarterly newsletter and monthly e-newsletter

Advocate. In 2005, we promoted policy that will protect and restore Georgia’s rivers: • We served as a voice for issues that impacted GA’s rivers • We kept citizens and watershed groups informed about

policy issues and engaged them in advocacy

Georgia River Network is dedicated to the conservation of Georgia’s waters. We envision rivers we can all use for drinking, swimming, fishing, and boating; rivers that add beauty and value to our communities; and meet the needs of the ecosystems they support. Achieving our vision is dependent on active, effective, citizen-led groups working across Georgia to protect local rivers and streams. Our strategy is to ENGAGE, EMPOWER, and ADVOCATE: Engage. In 2005, we engaged more citizens in protection of their local rivers by: • Helping new groups, like Friends of Barber Creek and the

Central Georgia Rivers Partnership, form and get organized • Sponsoring Paddle Georgia 2005 • Giving talks to dozens of community groups • Sponsoring an awards program that recognized GA’s River

Conservationist of the Year, Watershed Group of the Year, and Volunteer of the Year

• Working with the media to get news articles published,

more. Saturday night featured a reception, live auction and awards ceremony.

EMPOWER: Record Attendance at 5th Annual Conference Over 150 river advocates from across the state of Georgia

gathered in Milledgeville for the 5th Annual Georgia River Network Annual Conference on February 18 - 20 at Georgia College and State University. The conference offered a variety of opportunities for river advocates to gain new skills and was a great opportunity to network and socialize. Both Saturday and Sunday featured keynote addresses and three tracks. The “Land Connection” track, chaired by the UGA River Basin Center and the Center for Watershed Protection featured presentations on tools to protect and restore watersheds. The “Organizations That Make An Impact “ track featured information on marketing, working with volunteers, databases, and fundraising. The “Understanding Your Watershed” track, chaired by GA Adopt-A-Stream, featured information on water quality monitoring, data interpretation, rain gardens, groundwater, wetlands, communication, coastal issues and

Throughout 2005, Georgia River Network supported Georgia’s river groups by providing training, consultation, and assisting

EMPOWER: Advocacy Workshops For Citizens

and facilitating their strategic and annual planning. In 2005, GRN worked with the following organizations: • Broad River Watershed Association: Facilitated and assisted

with annual planning, consulted on membership development, consulted on liability insurance needs.

• Lake Oconee Water Watch: Provided 8 Tools of Watershed Protection presentation to the Putnam Co. Select Committee on Development Plan Revisions.

• Ogeechee-Canoochee Riverkeeper: Assisted with merger of Canoochee Riverkeeper and Friends of the Ogeechee, assisted with coordination for strategic planning.

• Upper Etowah River Alliance: Consulted on board development and fundraising strategies.

• Upper Oconee Watershed Network: Facilitated and assisted with annual planning.

The 2005 workshops were held in Rome, Canton, Covington, and Macon.

EMPOWER: GRN Supports Georgia’s River Groups

Georgia River Network partnered with the Georgia Wildlife Federation and Georgia Conservation Voters Education Fund to conduct 4 regional workshops throughout Georgia entitled “Advocate for a Healthy Environment”.

The workshops taught citizens how to effectively use their voices to speak up and make an impact on the things they care about the most. The workshops focused on: • How to build a relationship with decision makers; • How to keep informed about decision-making at the federal,

state, and local level; • How to influence decision-making at the federal, state, and

local level; • How laws and regulations are made at the federal, state, and

local level; and • The rules about lobbying and election activities for non-

profit organizations.

Georgia River Network, 126 S. Milledge Ave., Suite E3, Athens, GA 30605, 706-549-4508, Fax: 706-549-7791, info@garivers.org, www.garivers.org

“The GRN staff have always been very responsive when we had questions or problems, and we appreciate their practical, informed advice” Janet Pearson, Lake Oconee Water Watch

“GRN has been a most valuable resource for our organization!” Kathryn Braungart, Broad River Watershed Association

“As members of a relatively small organization in a rural area, we consider the GRN conference our primary resource for current information on water-related topics” Sam Linhart, Broad River Watershed Association

Advocate: GRN Fights for Good Policy While Georgia River Network fought rollbacks to important

environmental protections, we also worked proactively to get better policies put in place: • We worked alongside conservation groups to create a

“Common Legislative Agenda”, which identified four policy priorities for the ‘06 legislative session

• We weighed in on preparations for the development of the new statewide water management plan

• We promoted full funding for EPD’s Erosion and Sedimentation program and the Environmental Trust Funds

• We supported the creation of the new “Georgia Land Conservation Program”

• We encouraged the Georgia Environmental Protection Division to protect our rivers from future mercury pollution

• We attended National River Lobby Day in Washington, DC and met with Georgia’s Congressional Delegation to discuss how they can protect and restore Georgia’s rivers.

• We worked alongside the 120+ partners of Georgia Water Coalition to develop policy priorities

• We participated in a campaign led by GA Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) to get the highest protections for GA’s most pristine rivers

We also fought hard to stop rollbacks to protections for

Georgia’s rivers and citizens’ rights to protect their property and rivers from pollution: • We fought SB 190, a bill aimed at severely limiting citizens’

rights to protect their property and community from polluters • We worked to protect the state’s high quality waters from

DNR’s rollback on protections for rivers and streams that exceed minimum standards

citizens of their watersheds. Georgia River Network promotes the program to watershed advocates, and our staff is trained and available to provide the workshop where trainers are not available. This year Georgia River Network provided two workshops to the Upper Oconee Watershed Network.

The organizers also created a website where citizens can get information on-line at www.getthedirtout.org.

Advocate: “Get the Dirt Out” Addresses GA’s #1 Pollutant Stormwater runoff is the major cause of impaired water

quality in Georgia, and many of our waterways are severely impacted by development and stormwater that carries pollutants to our streams. Sedimentation problems are typically the result of inadequate erosion and sedimentation controls on construction sites.

Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper and Georgia Center for Law in the Public Interest partnered with Georgia’s watershed groups and Georgia River Network to educate citizens about polluted stormwater from construction and development activities. The Environmental Protection Division of DNR and local governments charged with enforcing erosion and sedimentation laws are often understaffed and unable to monitor all construction activities for violations. “Get the Dirt Out” aims to train citizens to monitor construction activities for violations to erosion and sedimentation laws by explaining the laws, teaching them how to identify violations, and teaching the procedures to follow when violations are discovered.

To expand the reach of the program, the organizers are training trainers to take the “Get the Dirt Out” program to the

April Ingle (left), GRN Executive Director, along with members of the Geor-gia Water Coalition, meet with Governor Sonny Perdue to sign the “Day of the Environment” proclamation

Georgia River Network, 126 S. Milledge Ave., Suite E3, Athens, GA 30605, 706-549-4508, Fax: 706-549-7791, info@garivers.org, www.garivers.org

“The workshops gave us the tools and knowledge to spot illegal practices by developers that cause erosion and sedimentation of our streams and rivers” Jessica Sterling, Upper Oconee Watershed Network

• We opposed “Deadhead Logging”, a practice that is harmful to rivers, where sunken logs from the 1800’s are mined from the bottom of rivers and, until 2005, was illegal in Georgia

• We worked to protect Georgia’s coastal rivers from development impacts as a plaintiff in an appeal of a Coastal Marshlands Protection Committee permit for the Cumberland Harbour development in St. Mary’s

• We worked to protect the state’s endangered species and habitats from rollbacks to the Endangered Species Act

• We opposed the auctioning off of water withdrawal permits, as an asset, of the Durango Paper Mill, which threatened a fundamental principle of GA law and a fundamental property right

2005 Financial Supporters Foundations and Grantmakers Bright Wings Foundation * CS Mott Foundation * Environmental Support Center * Newland Family Foundation Norcross Wildlife Foundation * Patagonia * Sapelo Foundation * Turner Foundation * Waterfall Foundation Corporate Donors Earthfare * Georgia Power * Goldkist * Home Depot * Wildwood Outfitters River Heroes ($1000 or greater) Lacy Camp and Martha Middlebrooks * REM * Georgia Wildlife Federation & Camo Coalition Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper River Guardians ($500 or greater) Terry Perenich & Phil Novinger * Stack and Associates River Supporters ($250 or greater) Chandra Brown * Gail Cowie * Edward Davidson * George Floyd * Laurie Fowler & Tim Johnson Bud & Mary Freeman * Adeline Mathes * Mike Moody * Doc Stephens * Georgia Conservancy Georgia Water Coalition * Satilla Riverwatch Alliance River Friends ($100 or greater) Clinton Bastin * Charlie Belin * Joe & Mary Beverly * Bob & Betty Bisplinghoff * Thomas Black * David & Talia Blanchard * Eileen Bourassa * Charles Brown * Russell Caudell * Marsha Clark * Bron Cleveland * Jack Conrad * Carl Cook * Duncan Cottrell * Dorinda Dallmeyer * Justin Ellis * Alan & Naomi Epstein * Christa Evans * Dick Field * Martha Graettinger * Mike Hagues * Ron Carroll & Carol Hoffman * Daniel Hope * Ken & Vicki Huguley * April Ingle * Jane Kidd * Scott & Heather Kleiner * Stephen Kraemer * Ellie Lanier * Rhett Lawrence * Sandy Layton * Sam Linhart * Roy & Patricia Lowe * Doug Mathews * Linda McIver * Jim Melear Mary Anne Melear * D.L. Metcalf * James Metcalf * Diane Minick * Eva Morgan * Pat Munoz * Eric Odendahl John Odendahl * Mark Odendahl * Ed Philpot * Lendy & Nancy Poole * DuBose Porter * William Prokasy Brenda Rashleigh * Kes Roberts * Michael Saunders * Diane Schellack * Ronald Shook * Jubal Slivka * Richard & Julee Smilley * Mike Smith * Don Stack * Nancy Stangle * Gerald Sullivan * Malcolm Sumner * Christopher Taylor * Gloria Taylor * Gene Teany * William Tietjen * Victoria Tschinkel * Anna & Wiley Wasden * David Wenner * Harriet Whipple * Nancy White * American Rivers * Atlanta Women’s Club * Bank of America Broad River Watershed Association * Chattahoochee Riverkeeper * Contour Engineering * Jackson Lake Homeowners' Association * Mill Creek Environmental Services * Mosquito Lagoon Paddlers * Ogeechee Canoochee Riverkeeper * Oxbow Meadows * Save Our Satilla * The Wilderness Society * UGA Fisheries Society River Watchers ($50 or greater) Penny Adams * John Alston * Dawn Anderson * Sandy Baeder * David Barker * Taylor Barnhill * John Barrow Alfred Bastin * Stephanie Benfield * Sally Bethea * Robert & Sidney Boozer * Jane Brannen * Stephen & Lynda Brett * Beth Ann Brown * Karen Calhoun * Nancy Canolty * Frank Carl * Nancy Carter * John Clinebell Dan & Sally Coenen * Robin Dake * Ogden Doremus * Nonie Ebeling * Melissa Hamilton * Robert Hansen Lee & Diana Hartle * Margaret Hatfield * Drew Hritz * Sara Hurwitch * Helen Irving * Maria Jacobson * Ken Johnson * Karen Johnston * Susan Kaempfer * Deborah Keller * Ruth Keller * Alice & Tim Keyes * Joshua Kight * Kevin McCauley * Michael Melear * Midge Mercer * Judy Meyer * Jeanne & Mario Nakazawa * Peter Norris * Paul Odendahl * Doug Oetter * Keith & Shirl Parsons * Vince Pastorello * Chip & Roberta Reed * Ed Speir * Julie Stuart * Chere Sudler * Stephen Tanner * Catherine Taylor * Shirley Weaver * Janet Wells Patricia White * Janet Burns & Lorne Wolfe * Burnt Fork Watershed Alliance * Coosa River Basin Initiative Georgia Solar Energy Association * Georgia Environmental Council * Georgia Lakes Society * Georgia Land Trust Georgia Military College Biology Club * Georgia PIRG * High Falls Lake Association * Hiwassee River Watershed Coalition * Lake Oconee Water Watch * Little River Valley Association * Lake Oconee Property Owners' Association * Sautee Nacoochee Community Association Environmental Group * Southern Environmental Law Center * Sikes Community Garden Club * Soque River Watershed Association * Upper Etowah River Alliance

Georgia River Network, 126 S. Milledge Ave., Suite E3, Athens, GA 30605, 706-549-4508, Fax: 706-549-7791, info@garivers.org, www.garivers.org