Planning for the Next Great Environmental Challenge ...

River Network is an organization in the right place at the right time with an opportunity to profoundly impact the next great environmental challenge of our day -- freshwater conservation.

You may have heard the expression “water is the next oil.” That’s a serious understatement. If we run out of oil, we have alternatives like wind and solar power. But if we run out of potable water, there are no alternatives. We need it to drive our economy, grow our food, and simply to stay alive.

Our freshwater resource has never been more threatened than it is today.

Rapid population growth and our changing climate is depleting freshwater supplies in many parts of the country, drying up rivers, lakes and aquifers that are essential to sustaining life. Dangerous pollutants are entering our drinking water through storm water runoff, causing rates of cancer and other diseases to skyrocket. And poorly planned development is removing waterfront access, destroying wetlands, and degrading habitat for countless species of plants and animals both in the water and on land.

As 2009 began, River Network launched a new strategic planning process and is working to ensure it addresses the future of our rivers and watersheds in the context of the big environmental challenges of our time: water and food security; climate change, deteriorating public health, and keeping people connected to nature.

To realize the enormous potential before us, our strategic plan must be built from the bottom up.

Over the coming months, our board and staff will be reaching out to many of you for your thoughts and advice. As members of a broad and diverse grassroots community, we hope you will help us create a plan that represents your goals and inspires you to take part in its implementation. We hope we can look forward to your support.

(For a look back at our 2005-2008 strategic plan, click here.)