Blog

Connecting Leaders and Creating Community, Across Generations

by Brenna Goggin
Climate Corps cohort members gather outside for a group photo. Everyone is smiling, standing on the grass by the water.
Climate Corps members during an in-person retreat.
As new generations step into leadership roles at river, water, and justice organizations across the country, how is the movement changing? A few days into 2024, 18 Executive Directors joined a zoom call with River Network’s Leadership Development staff. Cozied up across the country, we discussed how the generational make up of staff is shifting... Read More ›

Apply for Environmental Justice Grants

by Dina Abdulhadi

The EPA’s Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program aims to make it easier for small, community-based organizations—particularly those with low capacity or resources—and other eligible subrecipients to access federal environmental justice funding for projects that identify, document, address, and respond to conditions related to environmental and/or climate injustice. Interested applicants should apply through the program… Read More ›

Emergency Response Resources to Drinking Water Quality Post-Flooding

by Erin Kanzig
Hurricane Helene has wrecked havoc in several southeastern states, and Hurricane Milton is barreling towards Florida. These latest climate disasters have left a devastating trail of destruction, leaving many communities without power, cell service, and running water. Our hearts go out to all those affected, including our River Network staff in Asheville, North Carolina, and... Read More ›

Empowering Floodplain Management

by Brian Murphy
As the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in the southeastern states reminds us, the need for effective floodplain management is more urgent than ever. A healthy floodplain should serve as a sponge, absorbing floodwaters to support essential hydraulic and ecological functions. Historically, floodplain management has focused on controlling rivers within rigid channels. While this control is... Read More ›

Water is Fundamental: Source Water Protection Week 2024

by Erin Kanzig
Amy Boal, our Communications Director, has this view of Lefthand Water District’s Spurgeon Treatment Plant from her back porch, a daily reminder of her source waters and how they get to her tap.
This week, River Network recognizes and highlights Source Water Protection Week (September 29 -October 5) alongside other water-focused nonprofits, water utilities and associations, and government. When I sat down to write this blog, I was reflecting on national polling about water challenges in our country, which showed that voters are most concerned about pollution of... Read More ›

Announcing Rooting Resilience Local and State Government Grantees

by Stephanie Heidbreder
Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve, 2007. Photo courtesy Amy Boal, RN Staff, who grew up in Hillsboro.
River Network’s Rooting Resilience Program will provide funding and technical assistance to projects that build resilience and enhance communities’ abilities to plan and carry out forestry projects. Funding for these projects is provided by the Inflation Reduction Act and the Urban and Community Forestry Program of the Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department... Read More ›

Rooting Resilience: Funding and Technical Assistance for Urban and Community Forestry Projects – Applications Open Now!

by Stephanie Heidbreder
Applications due October 23, 2024. Recognizing that local community groups are key to contributing their expertise and serving as effective local and regional agents for change, River Network is excited to serve as a national pass-through partner of the Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. We aim to provide funding and... Read More ›

Introducing a New Equitable Development Toolkit

by Grace Fullmer
Across the country, neighborhoods that are majority Black, Indigenous, people of color, and low-income are disproportionately facing the worst and most extreme climate-related impacts. Following decades of discriminatory policies and practices – including intentional underinvestment in critical services, resources, and infrastructure – there is a clear need for green improvements in these communities to mitigate... Read More ›

Applications Open for Our Latest SRF Cohort (And You’ll Be Paid!)

by Erin Kanzig

Calling all water justice-oriented community based organizations! Are you looking to understand and influence how and where State Revolving Funds (SRFs) are distributed in your state? The SRF State Advocates Forum is seeking individuals from community-based organizations to participate in a 9-month (November 2024 – July 2025) national cohort to strategically engage in water infrastructure… Read More ›

Mapping Heat, Building Community

by River Network
Community members plant trees for the benefits they provide. (Photo courtesy Groundwork USA)

This piece was written by Abbie Dusseldorp, Groundwork USA (a Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program grants national pass-through partner, as is River Network) and originally appeared on the Forest Service website. Groundwork USA received Inflation Reduction Act funding. Groundwork USA and their equity-centered partner network will develop, pilot, and implement urban forestry strategies… Read More ›

Announcing This Year’s Wild & Scenic Stewardship Partners!

by Grace Fullmer
Volunteers in outdoor gear stand in front of a pickup truck with trees in the background, as they get ready to do a river cleanup along the Tuolumne River.
Through these initiatives and funding, Southern Appalachian Wilderness Stewards seeks to ensure the Chattooga Wild and Scenic River remains a pristine natural area, offering remarkable and valuable recreational opportunities while mitigating environmental impacts from heavy visitation.” - Kaitlin de Varona, Executive Director of Southern Appalachian Wilderness Stewards For the sixth year, River Network is partnering... Read More ›

River Rally 2024 Recap

by Carly Schmidt
Kicking off River Rally 2024 at the Blue Bridge in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The 25th River Rally brought the network together on the banks of the Grand River in Grand Rapids, Michigan; the traditional territory of the Anishinabek, including the Odawa, Ojibwa, and Bodéwadmi peoples. Together, we built community and shared knowledge, building bridges across distance and difference to connect and inspire the network. This year, 414 of... Read More ›

Letting Rivers Flow for People and Nature

by Chelsea Silva
As part of the 7th Environmental Flows Workshop, Walker Basin Conservancy led a tour of Walker Basin, including a stop at Walker Lake where participants learned from Chairwoman Andrea Martinez about restoration priorities for the Walker River Paiute Tribe.
Forty people disembark from a charter bus outside Reno, Nevada, and step out to a sunny, clear day and an expansive lake in the Great Basin desert that holds stories of trials and tribulations. The travelers were on a field trip as part of River Network’s seventh Environmental Flows Workshop, a gathering of environmental flow... Read More ›

Mentally and Physically, Trees Make a Difference

by River Network
Genesee Conservation District in Flint, Michigan is leveraging an Inflation Reduction Act grant from the Forest Service to provide residents with greater access to nature, green spaces, and the city’s parks to create a tranquil retreat for adults and youth and enhance their mental well-being. (Photo courtesy Genesee Conservation District)

This piece was written by Regan Davis Hopper, U.S. Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program and originally appeared on the Forest Service website. Crossposted with permission. During my dad’s recent hospital stay, I witnessed the healing power of trees. He was assigned to a room that looked out at a bleak brick wall. Needless… Read More ›

Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program: Sunset or Sunrise?

by Shelby Cline
This post, written by Shelby Cline, is the fifth blog post we’ve published about the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP). The program was first funded through COVID-19 legislation in the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA, December 2020) and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA, 2021). For additional background information on this program, check out our... Read More ›