Winter 2002-2003 Bulletin

Circuit Rider Program Starts up

In December 2002, Amigos Bravos received funding from the William H. and Mattie Wattis Harris Foundation to initiate a Clean Water Circuit Rider Program. The new Program will provide affected communities with an innovative method of cleaning up their polluted rivers and could create a model for similar action nationwide. With one staff member as the half-time circuit rider and support from others on the staff, Amigos Bravos will assist communities across the state to use the Clean Water Act to protect and restore their rivers. The Circuit Rider Program is designed to help communities develop and implement strategic plans to clean up their rivers, train community members in using the Clean Water Act, and assist communities faced with emerging problems or emergency spills. The goal of the Program is to increase the capacity of New Mexico communities to restore polluted river systems and to deal with future pollution problems. Under the Circuit Rider Program, Amigos Bravos has begun to work with the community of Las Vegas to address water quality problems in the Gallinas watershed. As part of this process, Amigos Bravos will be hosting a Clean Water Act training in Las Vegas in early April. The 1972 Clean Water Act is the most powerful tool available for protecting river systems at the grassroots community level. Its ambitious goal is “to restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters.” Thirty years after the enactment of the Clean Water Act, most of the rivers in New Mexico remain polluted. The Clean Water Act offers great opportunities for river protection, and yet still faces huge obstacles when it comes to implementation. The Circuit Rider Program will begin to tackle some of these obstacles.

River Otter Update The NM River Otter Working Group meets monthly to develop river otter restoration strategies. If you are interested in attending the February 18th meeting in Santa Fe, 1-4pm, please contact Amigos Bravos at 505-758-3874 or email Rachel Conn at rconn@amigosbravos.org.

Photo by Eric Peterson

 

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