Impacting Change at the Statehouse:
Our 2020 Policy Priorities for NY, PA, NJ, and DE
By Rita Yelda, Outreach & Communications Manager, Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed
A February 2020 photo of the Coalition for the Delaware River, Friends of the Upper Delaware River, Catskills Mountainkeeper, and New York League of Conservation Voters with Senator Metzger.
We can’t have a healthy Delaware River Watershed if the four states that comprise the watershed aren’t making wise choices for the environment. Every year the Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed supports state-level clean water policies and funding in the four watershed states of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. By utilizing our State Outreach Lead Initiative, we expand our reach to every statehouse, which is important because bills and policies that will impact water quality, wildlife habitat, and environmental issues occur on a state level, not just federally. Our State Lead organizations identify critical policies that will determine the future of our watershed and then they drive legislative strategy on these identified priorities, building capacity and leading statewide efforts.
In New York, the State Lead organization is Friends of the Upper Delaware River based in Hancock. With about 50% of New York City’s population receiving water from the Delaware River Watershed, that’s a lot of people depending on the Delaware! In New York State, we are supporting the “Restore Mother Nature” Environmental Bond Act and will work to secure its adoption by voters in November. We’ll also call on the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to identify and evaluate vulnerable flood prone areas in the East and West Branches of the Upper Delaware, setting the stage for additional resources to implement on-the-ground projects that mitigate flooding, protect aquatic habitat, and preserve water quality. This year’s policy priorities also focus on securing meaningful funding from the New York State Environmental Protection Fund to protect and restore the river.
Clean water education day at the Pennsylvania Statehouse in May 2019 with the Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed, PennFuture, American Rivers, and PennEnvironment.
In New Jersey, about 22% of residents live within the Delaware River Watershed, including population centers like Trenton and Camden. As our State Lead, New Jersey League of Conservation Voters will defend water and conservation programs, including the state’s Aquatic Invasive Species Plan, reducing plastic pollution, and promoting stormwater programs that address polluted runoff. We seek to also advance water quality regulations including the Freshwater Wetlands Rules, Water Quality Management Plan, consistency determinations for the Highlands, and Flood Hazard Rules. Like last year, we’ll continue to advocate for appointments to the Highlands Council and Pinelands Commission to protect water and wildlife in those portions of the Delaware River Watershed.
Around 43% of Pennsylvania’s residents live within the Delaware River Watershed and rely on it for water to drink, wash, and farm. In 2020, along with our State Lead PennFuture, we’ll defend funding for state agencies that provide environmental protections, enforcement, and remediation, such as the Department of Environmental Protection. While Pennsylvania stalled the banning of single-use plastic bags last year, we’ll continue to push for the Zero Waste PA package of bills and municipal protections against plastics to address the plastic pollution crisis, similar to Philadelphia’s plastic bag ban.
Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge in Smyrna, DE is part of the Delaware River Watershed.
Last, but definitely not least, is Delaware. A whopping 74% of Delawareans live within the Delaware River Watershed, upping the stakes for clean water protection. With our State Lead organization Delaware Nature Society, we’ll support the passage of the Clean Water for Delaware Act, which will create a $50 million for the Clean Water Trust to address the state’s water infrastructure issues, including old infrastructure and flood-prone areas. We will also push to strengthen the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System to include green infrastructure language that addresses flooding and water pollution from runoff.
As always, we’ll support each state, and the federal government, paying their “fair share” level of funding to the Delaware River Basin Commission, which oversees water quality and quantity in four states, yet continues to go underfunded and understaffed. State Lead organizations will bring together organizations to act collectively for policy change and will organize education days at each statehouse to directly meet with legislators and explain the significance that the watershed. Stay active and involved with us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest action alerts to make a difference for the Delaware River Watershed in your state!