Northeast Ohio Watershed
Council formed

Calls for coalition of Northeast Ohio watershed groups

The following mission statement was written by the Ohio Environmental Council (OEC) in advance of the initial meeting on September 26, 2002, to build a coalition of Northeast Ohio clean water groups and individuals interested in protecting regional watersheds.

Northeast Ohio Watershed (NOW) Council fits into a national trenda critical mass of groups and like-minded individuals wanting to work on a regional basis. The NOW Council is the perfect networking and mentoring venue for emerging and established groups throughout the region. Ideally, the NOW Council would hold quarterly meetings of the presidents of each local citizen-based watershed group.

The business meetings can be preceded by some technical and capacity-building presentations that provide fodder for discussion amongst NOW Council members. Members may share what their group has done on a particular topic or newcomers may ask questions so that they can get up to speed.

A business meeting could be chaired by the president of a local watershed group. Initial voting membership will include each citizen-based watershed group. Non-voting members, also known as affiliates, are encouraged to attend and participate in discussions and make themselves available as resources for the citizen-based groups.

The OEC hopes that the NOW Council meetings will provide the chance for informal discussion and important mentoring opportunities. The council is not another layer of bureaucracy or another series of workshops. The OEC will continue its one-on-one involvement with local groupsboth emerging and established. In addition, we will carry on with our work on state regulations, policy matters and legislation.

The NOW Council could eventually help local groups fight a particular project, bring together local groups to push for regional initiatives such as model ordinances, or influence state policy and legislation.

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EcoCity Cleveland
3500 Lorain Avenue, Suite 301, Cleveland OH 44113
Cuyahoga Bioregion
(216) 961-5020
www.ecocitycleveland.org
Copyright 2002-2003

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Local watershed groups