River Rat Chat

media release: As the dust settles after Tuesday’s elections, River Alliance is reflecting on what the results mean for the future of Wisconsin’s water. As always, we believe that working in community and collaboratively is an effective way to navigate challenging times. We need to support the people and communities most at risk and, of course, protect the water that is essential to us all. 

Join us virtually on December 3 to hear about the issues River Alliance is working on and ways you can get involved.

On the national level, we expect a Trump administration will be openly hostile to environmental protections. On a state level, however, a narrower partisan split for the next two years could be good for Wisconsin. It is good for our state leaders to feel the pressure of needing to compromise with each other to get the work of state government done. 

Next year, negotiations over the state budget will be very important. We are also involved in a court challenge of our state’s Spills Law and we are confident that our current state supreme court will affirm the importance of strong state anti-pollution laws after oral arguments in January. 

Now more than ever, we need you to be very active on the local level. We’ve lived through hostile state and federal governments before and we know that squeaky wheels can get things done. When state and federal systems fail us, loud and local people can win. 

It’s a good time to find a local water protection organization to join, volunteer, and help organize fellow River Rats in your neck of the woods to be a voice for water.  It’s a great way to build community and connect with your neighbors around the local waterways you love.

The River Alliance team will continue to provide you, local water protection organizations, and our partners guidance, training and support to protect all of Wisconsin’s waters.

- Allison Werner, Executive Director