With valuable input from numerous stakeholders and Coalition members, we've honed in on our shared goals for 2024 and 2025. We're excited to unveil and share them with you!
The forthcoming initiatives are geared to bring about transformative advancements at both the federal and state levels Let's dive into the overarching themes that will shape the Coalition's efforts in the upcoming years:
Environmental Justice: Advance equitable access to clean water, land, outdoor recreation, and economic opportunity to all communities.
Restoration Funding: Securing increased and sustained funding to support restoration needs in the watershed
Strengthen Protections: Defend habitats, waterways, and communities against emergent and systemic threats in the Delaware River Basin
Watershed-wide Planning: Support watershed-wide and transparent planning that comprehensively addresses the watershed’s biggest challenges
Federal & State-Level Priorities
Environmental Justice:
Watershed-wide:
The EJ for All Act | The legislation is rooted in the moral principle that all people have the right to pure air, clean water, and an environment that enriches life.
Outdoors for All Act | Legislation that would expand outdoor recreational opportunities in urban and low-income communities across the nation.
Living Schoolyard’s Act | The bill will enable schools to re-envision their outdoor school grounds with the goal of providing more hands-on learning opportunities, strengthening local ecological systems, and giving every single child a place where they can learn and play outside.
Urban Waters Federal Partnership | Connects urban communities, particularly those that are overburdened or economically distressed, with their waterways by improving coordination among federal agencies.
State-level:
Advance state-wide protections to reduce cumulative impacts on overburdened communities in the watershed
Advocate for the designation and codification of State Environmental Justice offices across the basin
Help influence the next generation of the water workforce
Restoration Funding:
Watershed-wide:
Reauthorization of the Delaware River Basin Conservation Act | The legislation makes it easier for small, rural, and disadvantaged communities to engage in restoration projects.
Recovering America's Wildlife Act | This bill provides financial and technical assistance to states, territories, and the District of Columbia for the purposes of (1) recovering species listed as a threatened or endangered species under the Endangered Species Act or under state law, or (2) avoiding the need to list species under such laws.
Full-share Funding for the Delaware River Basin Commission | Funding the Commission can increase its capacity for research, applied science, monitoring, modeling, outreach and more, and accelerate work in water quality, water resiliency, water availability and water equity.
North American Wetlands Conservation Act | Advance grant funding to protect, enhance, restore, and manage waterfowl, other migratory birds and other fish and wildlife, and the wetland ecosystems and other habitats upon which they depend, consistent with the North American Waterfowl Management Plan.
Land Water Conservation Fund | Maintain support for a federal program that has a wide range of benefits for water quality, open space, and recreational access across the Watershed as well as work towards the Biden Administrations 30x30 initiative.
Farm Bill | Support for America’s farmers, ranchers, and forest stewards through a variety of safety net, farm loan, conservation, and disaster assistance programs.
State Revolving Fund | Federal-state partnership that provides low-cost financing to communities for a wide range of water quality infrastructure projects
Funding for the Delaware Estuary | Improve Delaware River Estuary's water quality and promote water equity for all communities who depend upon the Estuary’s resources
State-level:
Ensure that state agencies and interstate commissions are adequately funded
Include designated line-items in state budgets to act as match for federal programs
Guide infrastructure dollars to support projects and communities in watershed states
Strengthen Protections:
Watershed-wide:
The Clean Water Act | The CWA is the most fundamental safeguard against pollution and we must utilize all of its opportunities and tools to ensure our rivers, tributaries, wetlands, and lakes are protected against growing industry development, emerging contaminants, climate change, and more.
State-level:
Enforce the Clean Water Act to improve stream designations and reduce harmful discharges from entering waterways
Strengthen state-wide wetlands protections to increase watershed-wide resiliency
Watershed-wide Planning:
Watershed-wide:
Delaware River Basin Restoration Program | The Program reflects a shared vision for conserving and restoring a network of lands and waters to support wildlife, and is guided by a strategic framework developed with partners to focus on conservation in four key areas: reducing flooding and runoff, restoring fish and wildlife habitats, improving water quality, and enhancing safe recreational access for the public.
Partnership Wild & Scenic Rivers | Designated rivers managed through long-term partnerships between the National Park Service and community, local, regional, and state stakeholders
Flex Flow Management Program | Allows for release from New York City reservoirs to account for water needs in the city and to ensure quality habitat and recreation downstream.
State-level:
Support legislation to remove dams to improve fish passage and water quality
Thank you to all our members for contributing your invaluable priorities and insights, shaping the path for the Coalition's work ahead. Together, unified in our commitment, we can make a positive impact on the health of Delaware River Basin.