Focusing on Federal Clean Water Advocacy During Hill Week 2021
By Revathi V. Machan, Communications Intern, Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed
Senator Coons, Senator Carper, and Collin O’Mara of NWF help to kick-off Hill Week with a briefing on Zoom
Every year the Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed heads to Washington D.C. to educate Members of Congress about key policy and funding priorities that support conservation and restoration in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. While COVID-19 restricted travel to the Capitol this year, the Coalition adapted and transformed Hill Day into a virtual Hill Week. During the second week of March 2021, 71 participants from Coalition member organizations, including 12 constituents, took part in the virtual Hill Week. These participants met with 31 out of 32 congressional offices that represent the watershed.
Wendi Weber, Northeast Regional Director for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service addresses Coalition members on the first day of Hill Week.
Opening remarks came from Wendi Weber, Northeast Regional Director for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and Collin O’Mara, CEO of National Wildlife Federation. U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-DE), Chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, and U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-DE), a member of the House Appropriations Committee, addressed the Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed’s member organizations on the first day to discuss conservation priorities in the year ahead and celebrate the successes of the Delaware River Basin Restoration Program.
Over the course of the week, attendees visited Congressional offices via Zoom to advocate for six fiscal year 2022 appropriations requests and three legislative requests that would benefit the people, wildlife, and economy of the watershed.
Fiscal Year 2022 Appropriation Requests:
Please support an increase for the Delaware River Basin Restoration Program in the amount of $15 million.
This request is a 150% increase from last year’s funding, in order to better meet the needs of organizations within the watershed. This program leverages private investments, regional partnerships, and local knowledge to restore and protect the basin by providing grants for on-the-ground projects.
Please support continued funding for the Partnership Wild and Scenic Rivers Program at $3.925 million.
There are 400 miles of Wild and Scenic Rivers in the Delaware River Watershed, and the continued funding of this program would ensure the effective implementation of approved conservation plans.
Participate in oversight of Land & Water Conservation Fund programs and projects through the FY22 appropriations process and support the 30x30 Initiative.
The Land and Water Conservation Fund has been fully and permanently funded through the enactment of the Great American Outdoors Act. We asked that our Members of Congress participate in the oversight of the LWCF programs, and specifically support the 30x30 initiative which calls for 30% of America’s lands and oceans to be protected by 2030.
Please support $10 billion for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and $10 billion for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund.
These programs help communities across the nation address their local water infrastructure needs by providing low interest loans to local governments. Support for this funding would allow local communities to invest in green infrastructure and innovation, and better stormwater management which allows for better water quality, flood mitigation, and green spaces.Please support robust funding levels for the North American Wetlands Conservation Act.
NAWCA is a non-regulatory grant program that matches federal funds with local dollars to target key wetlands for protection, and it must continue to get a high level funding of funding.
Please reinstate federal funding for the Delaware River Basin Commission, consistent with the “fair share” funding of $715,000, (20%), agreed to in 1988.
The Commission’s programs include water quality protection, drought management, flood loss reduction, and watershed planning. Despite the success they’ve had without this federal funding, the Commission must have the ability to continually improve the watershed’s quality and for this it is essential that they receive the federal funding they need.
Legislative Requests:
Cosponsor the Environmental Justice For All Act.
Cosponsor the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act.
Cosponsor the Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act.
Representative Cartwright meets with members from the Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed, Friends of the Upper Delaware River, PennFuture, Trout Unlimited, Audubon Mid-Atlantic, American Sustainable Business Council, Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania, and Ducks Unlimited.
Hill Week in 2019 took place in Washington, D.C. Pictured are representatives from National Audubon, Pennsylvania Environmental Council, the Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed, and Ducks Unlimited
The Coalition is grateful to all the Members of Congress, Congressional staffers, Coalition members, and constituents that made 2021 virtual Hill Week possible. Although this year attendees weren’t rushing to get to meetings on time, shaking hands with staffers, or celebrating together at the end of the day, the week was an incredible success. Virtual Hill Week was a way to highlight the importance of the Delaware River Watershed with Congress, and bring attention to the funding and policies that could improve water quality, wildlife habitat, and recreation within the four-state region. Hopefully, by next year, Hill Day can return in-person to Washington, D.C.