The River Current ~ October 30, 2008 ~ Issue 79

The e-newsletter of the Charles River Watershed Association
...bringing our backyard river to your door...

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In this issue

1. Action Alert! Riverways funding
2. Join CRWA friends in South Natick on Sunday
3. Bottled water hearing
4. Green Streets and Public Health event

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1) Action Alert! Petition Governor Patrick to restore funding for Riverways

 As you are no doubt aware, Governor Patrick has been implementing a round of significant mid-year cuts to the state budget. Environmental programs have shared in those cuts with an overall reduction of about 7%. We were dismayed to see that the tiny and uniquely effective Riverways Program was singled out for a disproportionate and damaging 30% cut.

Please help ensure that Riverways remains a viable part of the Department of Fish and Game in Fiscal Year 2009 and in the Governor’s yet to be released budget for Fiscal Year 2010. Riverways should not be subject to further disproportionate cuts.

If you care about rivers in Massachusetts, please take action!
• Visit Governor Patrick's "issues" website by clicking the link below and add your name to the post made by S.E. of Stockbridge in support of a strong Riverways Program.
• You will need to sign up for an account or log in in order to show your support. After doing so, just search for “Riverways” and then click on the “Riverways Program” link that comes up to get to the post.

Click here to show your support for Riverways!

2) You’re invited to South Natick this Sunday

Celebrate the beauty of the Charles in Autumn at a CRWA event in South Natick this Sunday afternoon, November 2. Friends and neighbors are invited to gather around the hearth and learn more about CRWA. For more information or to RSVP, contact Leigh Heffernan at 781-788-0007 x231 or email lheffernan@crwa.org by tomorrow at the latest!

3) Help stop Nestle and other companies from taking control of our water
Join CRWA to help tell MA state legislators that we want a moratorium on extraction of spring water for bottled water purposes.  The Environment Committee is holding an Oversight Hearing, open to the public, on bottled water and large-scale extraction of water. Please come to the Bottled Water Hearing, Thursday, November 6, 1:00-3:00 pm at the MA State House, Room A-2.
This is an opportunity to make a case for:

1. A moratorium on new extractions for bottled spring water;
2. Affirmation of the primacy of citizen and ecosystem needs over private profit-making on water resources;
3. Call for an assessment of the status of Massachusetts water resources, and projection of our water for future needs.

Please come and support protecting the Commonwealth’s water resources!

4) Green Streets and Public Health:  An Allston Brighton Green Space Advocates Lecture Social

Interested in how “greening” our environment improve human health and contribute to environmental sustainability? Join CRWA and Allston Brighton Community Development Corporation for a discussion on Tuesday, November 11 at 6:30pm at the German International Day School, 57 Holton St., Allston. Please sontact Kate at Allston-Brighton CDC for more information or if you plan to attend - (617) 787-3874 x216 or jordan@allstonbrightoncdc.org.

Click here for more information about this and other CRWA events.