Why I open the Opinion page of the News Journal, I’ll never know. Yesterday was no exception as I got to read a piece about protecting the Delaware River Basin Watershed by Mike Castle.
Over 8 million people call the basin home and over 15 million rely on its waters for drinking and industrial uses and yet, it lacks a coordinated conservation strategy on par with major watersheds around the country, most notably the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
While there are a number of organizations doing outstanding work, the basin lacks a coordinated framework and dedicated federal support to conserve and restore the natural resources, fish and wildlife.
Good point. Hmm, maybe if we had a someone in public service for 30 years, they could have gotten right on that. Maybe if they were let’s say the Governor for eight years, they could have worked with other neighboring governors to work out a plan. Maybe if they were Delaware’s lone Congressman for almost 20 years, they could have introduced legislation building that framework.
Turns out Mike Castle is jumping right on this issue by introducing legislation to protect the watershed.
I introduced The Delaware River Basin Conservation Act (H.R. 4698), which employs a voluntary, non-regulatory framework for coordinating conservation efforts, and increases federal resources for on-the-ground projects that get results.
What? Voluntary? I guess that the watershed might not be that important.
The basin has important living resources that need protection, including oysters, migratory birds, fish, wetlands and forests, to name a few.
OK, it is important. So, maybe a voluntary approach is the right way to go.
While this legislation is an important step towards fostering coordination, it will not be effective without the backing of the agencies, organizations and communities that we heavily rely on to be the stewards of our cherished waterways and land areas in the Basin.
” . . . it will not be effective . . . ” Sweet Jebus, Mike, next time one of your staffers writes a piece for you, you might want to read it first.