Ohio River Listening Session - Williamson, West Virginia

104 Fourth Avenue,Williamson WV 25661

25 March, 2023

Description

Clean water advocates are pushing to secure substantial new federal investment to protect and restore local waters in West Virginia, Kentucky, and the 14-state Ohio River basin. Stand up and have your voice heard! What water pollution problems are you most concerned about in your community? What solutions should be prioritized? Help set priorities to clean up and restore the Ohio River basin, including the local waters such as the Tug Fork River that you depend on for your drinking water, public health, recreation, and quality of life. Join us for a community listening session on Saturday, March 25, from 3-5 p.m., to make your voice heard. The session will be hosted at the Williamson Fire Department, 104 E. Fourth Ave., Williamson, West Virginia, 25661. Food and refreshments provided. There is free parking. The session is sponsored by the Friends of the Tug Fork River, National Wildlife Federation, and Ohio River Basin Alliance. Registration is required. The listening session is part of a growing movement to restore and protect the waters of the 14-state Ohio River region—and to ensure that every person has access to clean, safe, and affordable water. With input and support from community members and partners, the Ohio River Basin Alliance and National Wildlife Federation are overseeing a process to craft a plan to protect and restore the Ohio River, its tributaries, wetlands, and surrounding habitats in the 14-state region. We want to make sure the plan is bold and visionary—an action plan that represents the priorities of the people and communities in the region. The restoration plan will address serious threats to fish, wildlife, and people, including problems such as sewage contamination, mining waste, polluted runoff, and toxic pollution. The plan will also seek to reverse environmental injustices, including inadequate water sanitation services, unaffordable drinking water, and flooding concerns. The regional restoration plan will be delivered to the U.S. Congress in 2023, with the goal of securing new federal investments to implement the plan and to provide clean, safe, and affordable water to every person in the region. Community input is vital to the plan to ensure local clean water priorities are reflected in the plan. The National Wildlife Federation and Ohio River Basin Alliance are hosting a series of listening sessions with partners in the region, such as Friends of the Tug Fork River, to hear from local community residents, advocates, and organizations, so that local clean water priorities can be prioritized in the plan. We want to make sure that the plan tackles the most pressing threats and delivers for the people most impacted by pollution and environmental harm. Join us in person and have your voice heard. During the meeting, you will hear about the restoration planning process and have the opportunity to provide input into the regional plan. The session will be held at the Williamson Fire Department, 104 E. Fourth Ave., Williamson, West Virginia, 25661. Food and refreshments will be provided for all registered attendees. If you cannot attend this meeting but would like to get involved, please visit our Eventbrite profile for additional engagement opportunities. For questions about the event, please contact Madison Mooney, [email protected], (606) 626-5930, at Friends of the Tug Fork, or Jordan Lubetkin, [email protected], (734) 904-1589, at the National Wildlife Federation.