CDRW staff and Coalition members assembled for the 2022 Annual Meeting Kick-Off on January 24th, 2022.
The Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed (“CDRW”) held their 2022 Annual Meeting virtually from January 24th-28th, 2022 and convened over 100 members from across the watershed. The Coalition’s Annual Meetings are a great opportunity for CDRW staff and Coalition member organizations to come together to discuss, co-create, and finalize workplans for areas of priority. These workplans ultimately serve as a tool to help guide CDRW staff and workgroups to prioritize a variety of objectives for the year ahead!
Earlier this month, CDRW’s Steering Committee adopted thirteen policy priorities for the year. Each priority was allotted a workplan meeting date and time where workplan drafts could be discussed and member organizations could add, adjust, or elaborate on each workplan objective.
Annual Meeting Kick-Off: January 24th, 10-11am
The 2022 Annual Meeting began on a powerful note with our Priority Workplan Meeting Kick-Off held on Monday, January 24th. “As we reflect on 2021, there’s much to celebrate and be proud of,” explained Kelly Knutson, CDRW’s Director. “Together we remained nimble in achieving our watershed-wide priorities given the obstacles that the pandemic continues to present...We’re so grateful for our members commitment and passion that each of you bring to the table. Certainly, our accomplishments are made possible thanks to partners like you.” Two highlighted 2021 successes include welcoming 10 new member organizations to the Coalition and securing funding for watershed restoration programs.
Marcus Sibley, Northeast Director of Conservation Partnerships, National Wildlife Federation
CDRW staff and Coalition members also welcomed Marcus Sibley, Northeast Director of Conservation Partnerships for the National Wildlife Federation, to the Coalition’s Annual Meeting Kick-Off. He underscored the unique opportunities we have in our modern age to confront climate change as a united front. “We are at a very important point in history,” explained Marcus Sibley. “We are at a point where technology allows all of us to not only communicate quickly, but we are able to get a snapshot of what’s happening across our globe, so there’s no more hearsay… We all have an opportunity…in a split second to know how climate change is impacting [us]… We have a very unique opportunity to not only fight these multiple issues we are facing together, but we have the opportunity to fight them in a way that we have never done before- a more inclusive process, a more equitable process. So that we can actually get to a point to fix what is wrong.”
In a perfect segue from Marcus’s remarks, CDRW’s new DEIJ consultants, Gail and Reena of Tribesy, had the opportunity to showcase the DEIJ journey we are embarking on with them in the coming year. Taking an approach of thoughtful lines of questioning, creating a brave space, and implementing structures of accountability, Gail and Reena will help CDRW develop a three year roadmap and tools to successfully integrate DEIJ into all of our work.
DEIJ Workplan Meeting: January 24th, 1:30-3pm
Throughout this week we highlighted the importance of DEIJ and aimed to integrate it into each of the priorities for the year ahead. As a Coalition, we recognize that embedded in the environmental movement, and society at large, is structural oppression, historical trauma, lack of inclusion and consideration, and disproportionate environmental impacts for marginalized communities. With leadership from the DEIJ Workgroup and support from Tribesy, we are working to cultivate a Coalition that comprehensively includes all voices in the watershed and ensures all communities share equitably in the benefits of a healthy Delaware River Watershed. Subsequently, we are focusing on the following five goals in 2022:
Serve as a DEIJ resource hub and support system for members with focuses on both internal growth and external action
Accomplish Tribesy Scope of Work including Cultural and Structural Assessments, DEIJ lens development and integration, and creation of 3 year DEIJ roadmap
Support Environmental Justice related policy within CDRW and throughout the watershed
Create and consult on communications strategies such as toolkits, blogs, and webinars
Develop and implement strategies to diversify CDRW membership, DEIJ workgroup, and Steering Committee
Restoration Funding Workplan Meeting: January 25th, 10-11:30am
Coalition members and CDRW staff also assembled to discuss restoration funding priority plan objectives. The goal of the Restoration Funding priority plan is to advocate for robust federal restoration funding to support the watershed’s restoration and protective needs. Through collaboration with the Coalition members, we aim to achieve our goal through the following four objectives:
Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge, located in Eastern PA, was obtained by USFWS in 2011 through Land and Water Conservation Fund’s Land and Acquisition Program. This funding helps protect wildlife habitat and natural resource areas. Photo courtesy of USFWS.
Ensure increased federal funding for the Delaware River Basin Restoration Program
Serve as the nonprofit voice, ensuring successful implementation of the Delaware River Basin Restoration Program
Advocate for robust federal funding for the North American Wetlands Conservation Act
Ensure the successful and equitable allocation of Land and Water Conservation Fund dollars and 30x30 initiative in the Delaware River watershed
Federal Policy Workplan Meeting: January 25th, 1:30-3pm
We convened on Tuesday to discuss amplifying Coalition voices on the federal level. The ultimate goal of the Federal Policy priority workplan is to ensure federal policies, spending, and implementation to support a resilient and healthy Delaware River Watershed. Moving into the future, the Coalition aims to achieve this goal through the following objectives:
Building a greater Coalition presence on the Hill, as a diverse network with political influence
Advocating for national legislation on the following:
Urban Waters Federal Partnership (UWFP)
Addressing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)
Advocating for full, fair-share federal funding for the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC)
Climate Change Workplan Meeting: January 26th, 10-11:30am
The Coalition also gathered to discuss workplan objectives relating to current and imminent impacts of climate change within the Delaware River basin. While climate resiliency has always been integrated in the work we do, the Coalition has officially adopted Climate Change as priority area for 2022, allowing for a more dedicated and bold response to the climate crisis. As a newly adopted priority, the goal is to seek opportunities that elevate climate change and its impact throughout the watershed. With this goal in mind, the Coalition aims to attain the following three objectives:
Advocating for reinvestment in the Civilian Conservation Corps and ensuring that the Delaware River Basin receives its fair share of the program for projects that rehabilitate and protect water quality throughout the region
Ensuring that federal infrastructure dollars are equitably invested across the region and attribute towards creating a more climate resilient watershed
Providing education training and messaging support to help improve and expand the understanding of climate change in the Delaware River watershed
Communications Workplan Meeting: January 26th, 1:30-3pm
CDRW staff and Coalition members met on Wednesday to discuss the Communications Workgroup objectives for 2022 as well. The goal of the communications workplan is to develop and implement strategic communications campaigns to advance the Coalition’s priorities and elevate the status of the Delaware River watershed. The Coalition aims to achieve this goal through the following four objectives:
Leveraging our collective communications assets to create communications campaigns and resources to advance policy priorities, watershed-wide events, and support member organizations
Providing technical assistance, training, and support to help improve and expand the communications capacity of Coalition members
Extending the Coalition’s impact by amplifying member organizations’ work and convening partners toward common agendas and policies
Integrating a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice (DEIJ) lens into all internal and external communication efforts while identifying opportunities to advance DEIJ throughout the watershed
Watershed-Wide Planning Workplan Meeting: January 27th, 10-11:30am
Moving into this new year, the Coalition also assembled to discuss our Watershed-Wide planning objectives. The goal of the workplan is for the Coalition to act as a convener of the organizations throughout the region, and strive to empower and engage a larger, more inclusive constituency to support watershed-wide planning and advocacy initiatives. The Coalition aims to achieve this goal through the following four objectives:
The Musconetcong River, located in northern New Jersey, is a designated Partnership Wild and Scenic River. Image courtesy of NWSRS.
Supporting the implementation of the Flexible Flow Management Program which effectively protects water quality, aquatic habitat, public safety, and economic revitalization
Advocating for federal funding for the Partnership Wild and Scenic Rivers
Elevating protection of water resources under the Clean Water Act
Engaging and including stakeholder that are not currently involved with the Coalition
State Lead Workplan Meetings: January 28th
To wrap up our 2022 Annual Meeting, CDRW staff, State Leads and Coalition members convened throughout the day on Friday to discuss and collaborate on state-based priorities.
Looking Forward to 2022
As we begin tackling all the goals on our 2022 agendas, we want to remind member organizations of the opportunity to further priority discussions by joining CDRW’s workgroups. Our workgroups are a great space for collaboration, planning, forward-thinking, and to serve as an impetus for confronting newly emerging watershed subjects and concerns. If you are considering joining one of our priority workgroups, please reach out to the designated CDRW staff member below:
DEIJ Workgroup: Meetings take place on the First and Third Thursday of the month, 11am-12pm
Contact: Ellen Underwood (she/her), Engagement Coordinator, ellen.underwood@njaudubon.org
Federal Policy Workgroup: Meetings take place on the First and Third Tuesday of the month, 9-9:30am
Contact: Kelly Knutson (he/him), Director, kelly.knutson@njaudubon.org
Communications Workgroup: Meetings take place on the First Tuesday of the month, 11am-12pm
Contact: Meagan Schaefer (she/her), Outreach and Communications Manager, meagan.schaefer@njaudubon.org
The Coalition’s 2022 Annual Meeting was a great success thanks to the contributions from all of the members! As we look ahead at the months to come, CDRW is eager to continue collaboration with Coalition members to fulfill watershed-wide and state-specific priority issue objectives. The finalized workplans will help CDRW and the workgroups in supporting Coalition members and all that call the watershed home. We look forward to our continued advocacy towards a healthier and stronger protected Delaware River watershed, and an outstanding 2022!