|
HVA Annual Meeting to Celebrate Clean Water
Celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, the Housatonic Valley Association will hold its annual meeting on Friday, October 25 at the White Hart Inn in Salisbury. Social hour will begin at 5 p.m., followed by the business meeting at 6 p.m. HVA will also present its annual awards to a number of volunteers and organizations. The meeting is open to the public.
The keynote speaker will be WesConn Assistant Professor of Political Science Chris Kukk, who will discuss "Liquid Capital—The Politics of Water." Dr. Kukk, a Gaylordsville resident, became involved with HVA as a volunteer in the recent Stream Team program, where he helped to assess the conditions of the Housatonic River from New Milford to the Stevenson Dam. Chris' doctoral thesis focused on the involvement of non-governmental groups, like HVA, and how they helped countries resolve their water disputes in a non-confrontational manner.
Executive Director Lynn Werner pointed out that: "Even though tremendous advances have been made because of the Clean Water Act, today a third or more of our waterways are still too polluted for fishing or swimming and recent daily drought reports, due to lack of rain this year, have underscored the need, not only for clean water—but for enough clean water—to go around. Chris will address what steps come next. He will focus on the battles going on, not only overseas, but right here at home, over who controls our drinking water, and what the future holds."
Everything we do on the surface of the land, even in our own backyards, affects our water. Everyone in the watershed is connected to and dependent on each other. To help residents understand their role in the watershed, and to educate them as to how they can help to keep our drinking water supplies safe and secure, HVA has recently reprinted "Groundwater and You," a series of fact sheets about conservation and pollution prevention.
To obtain a copy of "Groundwater and You," or for more info about HVA's annual meeting, call 413-394-9796.
HVA is celebrating over 60 years of environmental work from the Massachusetts Berkshires to Long Island Sound. Its programs maintain clean water in the watershed, both on the land and underground; protect open space lands; help towns balance economic growth and environmental protection; monitor the PCB cleanup and restoration of the Housatonic; offer land-planning services to towns and land trusts; and help students understand land and water issues in their neighborhoods. HVA operates a Watershed Environmental Resource Center at its main office in Cornwall Bridge, and has an office in South Lee, MA.
|
|
