Coalition PA members meet-up at Illick’s Mill in Bethlehem, PA
By High Garst, State Policy Advocate (CDRW) & Donna Kohut, Campaign Manager - Delaware River Basin (PennFuture)
Coalition partners in Pennsylvania have much to celebrate after a successful budget season in Harrisburg. As generational funding for clean water begins benefitting the Delaware River Watershed, and waterways statewide, Coalition members took the opportunity to celebrate our shared successes and connect with member organizations in the Commonwealth.
On August 18, CDRW hosted a Member Meet-Up in the Lehigh Valley, providing an opportunity for members to connect with one another, meet CDRW staff, and offer potential new members the chance to learn more about all that the Coalition has to offer.
The Coalition’s State Policy Advocate, High Garst discussing PA budget wins with our PA members
Gathering together in-person grants CDRW members a unique opportunity to network outside of monthly meetings, sharing success stories and learning what is on the horizon for the Coalition and our partners in the Basin. The in-person element of this Pennsylvania Member Meet-Up also allowed members to visit and learn about the Appalachian Mountain Club’s offices in the historic Illick's Mill in Bethlehem.
While primarily a social event, Coalition staff and State Lead, Donna Kohut, provided updates on legislative advocacy in Pennsylvania, explanations of how clean water funding in the state budget would impact the surrounding communities in the Lehigh Valley, and an overview of the mission and scope of the Coalition.
Particular time was taken to break down how funds from the state’s Growing Greener Program, a bipartisan program that provides grant funding for individual projects that protect and improve water quality or have other conservation benefits. Funding from the program is distributed through state agencies to locally managed programs like the Lehigh Valley Greenways Mini Grant program. This specific program funds numerous projects throughout the Lehigh Valley, including stream restoration, riparian buffer plantings, and creation of public signage. Many of the organizations in attendance receive funding through this program each year. While the Coalition remains committed to securing funding for clean water programming across the watershed, this meeting enabled us to take that commitment one step further by identifying ways that funding was supporting the crucial on the ground efforts in which our partners are involved.
AMC’s Director of Conservation Policy and Engagement and CDRW Steering Committee Co-Chair, Mark Zakutansky, offered a short tour of the park surrounding Illick's Mill. Sitting along the banks of the Monocacy Creek
After learning more about the work of the Coalition, and taking time to connect with partners in Pennsylvania, the AMC’s Director of Conservation Policy and Engagement and CDRW Steering Committee Co-Chair, Mark Zakutansky, offered a short tour of the park surrounding Illick's Mill. Sitting along the banks of the Monocacy Creek - which is a High Quality Cold Water Fishery - the site was created by the Works Progress Administration, which employed local residents for public works projects during the Great Depression. The Monocacy is a real gem in the Lehigh Valley. It provides world class trout fishing in an urban setting, which is incredibly rare, and offers water-based recreation opportunities that are accessible for low-income and BIPOC communities thanks to the hard work and dedication of local organizations.
This opportunity to meet in-person provided staff and members with some important facetime with each other but also with some potential new member organizations who were invited to come and learn more about CDRW, benefits of membership, and opportunities to engage with Coalition partners going forward. As opportunities to meet in person arise in the future, CDRW staff will continue to find ways to bring members together to network, strengthening the Coalition’s capacity as a trusted voice in the watershed, and to welcome potential new Coalition members, growing CDRW’s reach across the basin.
If you know of any organizations that work in the watershed that might be interested in applying to become a member of CDRW, please reach out to your State Lead.