The winter issue of Rock River Reflections, the quarterly newsletter of the Rock River Coalition, leads with a nice article about Water Star.
Download the full newsletter (pdf) here.
Introducing Water Star
Imagine your mayor, stepping up on stage to accept an award for all the work your town has done to improve its water quality. The crowd cheers as the mayor makes a long-winded thank you: “And none of these changes would have been possible without the dedicated efforts of our citizens, our businesses, our city council, and Water Star.”
The Water Star Community Program is a new project to reward communities for making environmental improvements in five areas: surface water, groundwater, habitat, land use and human health. In January 2008, the Rock River Coalition started the pilot project stage of Water Star, working with four other Wisconsin non-profits and the Department of Natural Resources.
The pilot project will proceed in two phases. During the coming months, five working groups will meet to discuss and finalize the elements included in the program. A steering committee will meet monthly to work out the program structure and logistics. Later in the spring of 2008, three communities in the Rock River watershed will test out the program and identify ways to improve it. Eventually the RRC intends to introduce the program statewide.
The Rock River Coalition has hired Michael Forster Rothbart to coordinate this initial phase of the Water Star Communities Program. Forster Rothbart comes to the program with a background in urban planning and river activism. He served for three years on the Madison Plan Commission and is a founding member of Friends of Starkweather Creek in Madison.
“There are so many ways we hurt our lakes and rivers without even realizing it,” says Forster Rothbart. “I’m excited to be working on this program. Water Star will encourage communities to actively protect their water resources. I hope to get input from a lot of different people across the state to help make Water Star a success.”
Volunteers are welcome to get involved. Currently the best way to help is to join a Water Star working group. See www.wiswaterstar.blogspot.com for more information, or contact Michael Forster Rothbart at 608-881-4308 or waterstar@rockrivercoalition.org.
