Waterkeeper Alliance

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Waterkeeper Alliance is an environmental organization founded in 1999, responding to a growing movement of organizations with the name Riverkeeper, Baykeeper, Soundkeeper, and other related "keeper" names. The original Riverkeeper, headed by John Cronin beginning in 1983, started on the Hudson River in New York state, USA, in response to the destructive industrial pollution that was destroying the river.[1][2] It was soon followed by Long Island Soundkeeper (which is still led by Terry Backer), Delaware Riverkeeper, San Francisco Baykeeper, New York/New Jersey Baykeeper (still led by Andrew Willner), and others. Riverkeeper is now headed by Alex Matthiessen, the chief executive since July, 2000.[3][4]

Today, Waterkeeper Alliance, which is based out of Irvington, New York, unites all Waterkeeper organizations, coordinating and covering issues affecting the more than 172 Waterkeepers that work to protect rivers, lakes, bays, sounds, and other water bodies around the world. It's the fastest growing grassroots environmental movement in the world, spanning six continents. Each Waterkeeper organization is devoted to the preservation of specific watersheds.

Two characteristics that have long distinguished Waterkeeper organizations are their grassroots focus, homing in on local water quality issues that impact the health and wellbeing of their local water body and local constituency, and also their commitment to enforcing the law, such as the U.S. Clean Water Act. Groundbreaking litigation and enforcement action has been undertaken by Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, San Francisco Baykeeper, Santa Monica Baykeeper, Hudson Riverkeeper, Lake Ontario Waterkeeper, San Diego Coastkeeper, Hurricane Creekkeeper, and many other Waterkeeper organizations.

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. serves as Chairman of Waterkeeper Alliance, with Steve Fleischli as President; Terry Backer as Vice-President; the Executive Director is Kristine Stratton. Fleischli served as Santa Monica Baykeeper in Los Angeles previous to becoming Waterkeeper Alliance's President.

There are Waterkeeper branches all over the Americas, as well as international branches, such as Vigilantes de Bahía Magdalena, or Magdalena Baykeeper and Hann Baykeeper in Dakar, Senegal.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Our Story. Riverkeeper.org. Retrieved on 2008-01-10.
  2. ^ John Cronin, Resident Scholar in Environmental Studies, Director of Pace Academy for the Environment. Pace University. Retrieved on 2008-01-10.
  3. ^ Riverkeeper.org, Alex Matthiessen. Riverkeeper.org. Retrieved on 2008-01-10.
  4. ^ Vargo, John H. (November/December 2000). The Hudson Riverkeeper. Boating on the Hudson. Retrieved on 2008-01-10.

[edit] External links

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