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Buffalo River Watershed Alliance

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NEW White River Waterkeeper - Press Release

04 May 2017 9:55 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Contacts: 

Jessie J. Green, 870.577.5071, jessie@whiteriverwaterkeeper.org

Maia Raposo, Director of Communications & Marketing, Waterkeeper Alliance: mraposo@waterkeeper.org; 212.747.0622 ext. 116


White River Waterkeeper: 


Newly Formed Environmental Group to Patrol and Protect the White River and its’ tributaries. 


The Waterkeeper Alliance Board of Directors has approved the White River Waterkeeper organization. Jessie J. Green, the newly appointed White River Waterkeeper, will work to protect and preserve the White River and its’ tributaries by combining her firsthand knowledge of aquatic ecology and the waterway with an unwavering commitment to the rights of the community and to the rule of law. Recently having left her position as a Senior Ecologist in the Office of Water at Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality, Jessie is well versed in, and well equipped to address, the number of issues affecting water quality in the state of Arkansas. 


“Waterkeeper Alliance is thrilled to have Jessie to be the eyes, ears, and voice for this vital watershed and community,” said Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., President of Waterkeeper Alliance. “Every community deserves to have swimmable, drinkable and fishable water, and Jessie is the right leader to fight for clean water in the region.”

The White River Waterkeeper will be a full-time advocate for the White River and its tributaries, protecting and restoring water quality through community action and enforcement. Jessie J. Green stated, “White River Waterkeeper’s aim is to provide strong advocacy that will result in an improved quality of life for all citizens whether they rely on it for drinking water or recreation, or whether they simply value the continued well-being of White River and many of its’ extraordinary tributaries such as the Buffalo, Strawberry, Kings, Eleven Point, Cache, and Little Red Rivers.”


“Jessie will have an incredibly important job,” added Marc Yaggi, Executive Director of Waterkeeper Alliance. “Waterkeepers defend their communities against anyone who threatens their right to clean water, from law-breaking polluters to irresponsible government officials. Until our public agencies have the means necessary to protect us from polluters, and the will to enforce the law, there will always be a great need for people like Jessie to fight for our right to clean water.”


The White River Waterkeeper will work on watershed-related issues from the headwaters of the White River in Washington County, AR, across the Ozarks of northern Arkansas and southern Missouri, and a significant portion of eastern Arkansas all the way to the mouth of the White River in Desha County, AR. 


White River Waterkeeper’s mission is to protect the public health and natural resources of the White River watershed through advocacy, education, and research. By filling a unique niche and assisting entities is accomplishing common goals, White River Waterkeeper will serve the watershed by organizing efforts, providing an accessible and knowledgeable respondent to environmental concerns, advocating for water quality, educating decision makers and the general public in water-related concerns, and conducting research to better characterize and assess the quality of our waterbodies. While most of White River Waterkeeper’s primary objectives have statewide implications, such as supporting research and advocating for better water quality standards that are both scientifically defensible and protective of swimmable, drinkable and fishable uses, many objectives necessitate waterbody and regional approaches specific to localized threats. 


As the White River watershed is both massive and incredibly diverse, the organization will undoubtedly require time to grow into its role. Due to the opportunities present (e.g. development of a watershed management plan and state agencies directed to outline actions that will address priority water quality issues) and numerous threats (e.g. failing infrastructure and conflicting management objectives), as well as the recent Most Endangered Rivers designation, the Buffalo River will serve as an initial priority. To best address concerns within the Buffalo River watershed, Jessie will soon be opening an office for White River Waterkeeper in Jasper, AR. Ultimately, the goal will be to have a strong presence and will be working toward objectives addressing concerns throughout the entire watershed, in both Arkansas and Missouri. 


To learn more, visit whiteriverwaterkeeper.org


About Waterkeeper Alliance

Waterkeeper Alliance is a global movement uniting over 300 Waterkeeper organizations around the world and focusing citizen advocacy on issues that affect our waterways, from pollution to climate change. Waterkeepers patrol and protect more than 2.4 million square miles of rivers, streams, and coastlines in the Americas, Europe, Australia, Asia, and Africa. www.waterkeeper.org.

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Jessie J. Green

White River WATERKEEPER®

Cell: (870) 577-5071 

Email: jessie@whiteriverwaterkeeper.org

Website: www.whiteriverwaterkeeper.org

Buffalo River Watershed Alliance is a non profit 501(c)(3) organization

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