News

1. Statewide Water Plan Update
2. Drought Update - 10% Reduction Mandated in 61 North Georgia Counties
3. GWC Press Conference - GWC sends the Metro District Back to School
4. Help Energize Grassroots Efforts on the Water Plan
5. Nominate Now for GRN Annual River Celebration Awards
6. Buy Coffee, Support Rivers – A Great Holiday Gift Idea!
7. Call for Proposals - UWG Water Conference

Group Spotlight
8. Satilla Riverkeeper

Workshops/Conferences/Calendar Items
9. Dust Bowl Ballads Concert - Athens
10. Save the Date – GRN Conference - Rome
11. DNR Board Meetings – Atlanta
12. EPA Webcast – Smart Growth and Green Infrastructure
13. Proposal Writing Seminar II - Atlanta
14. Save the Date: River Rally 08 – Huron, Ohio
15. Clam Jam on the Altamaha - Belleville
16. ICL Executive Director Leadership Program - MD
17. ICL Complete Fundraiser Program - NC
18. Georgia Center For Non-Profits Workshops

Resources
19. The Right Way to Resign From the Board
20. Design Techniques for Newsletters and Websites
21. Save Water By Reducing Catalog Mail
22. Job Posting Website
23. Updated Compliance Guidelines for Public Charities and Private Foundations
24. The Nonprofit Persona: Tips to Ensure Consistent Messaging Across Mediums
25. The 20 Biggest Fundraising Mistakes, Part II

Fundraising Deadlines
26. Grants

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1. Statewide Water Plan Update
The GWC Technical Team has thoroughly reviewed the Draft Statewide Water Plan. For a summary of the GWC analysis, contact April Ingle at ingle@garivers.org. The Georgia Water Coalition believes sufficient clean water should be available fairly to all Georgia citizens and ensure a healthy environment, we believe the Water Plan should:

Protect downstream communities.
Require efficient water use everywhere, always.
Ensure water clean enough to drink and fish safe enough to eat.
Safeguard funds intended to keep water clean.
Provide for public input and local action.

If you are interested in downloading the plan or reading the public’s comments on the plan, visit www.georgiawaterplan.org.

Statewide Water Planning Public Hearings and Water Council Meetings:
Mark your calendars for the next Water Council meetings – to be held Wednesday, November 28 and Friday, December 21 in the DNR Board Room in Atlanta. On November 9 the Water Council reviewed the revised Water Plan, after having received EPD’s revised plan (based on comments during the public comment period from October 1-30) on November 2. EPD will again revise the plan based on a second public comment period. The comment period dates (originally announced as November 26-30) have been changed, but have not been announced. The DNR Board Room is located in Suite 1252 of the Floyd Towers East, 2 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, Atlanta, GA 30334. For a complete timeline of public hearings and water council meetings follow this link: www.gadnr.org/gswp/Documents/public_hearings.html.

2. Drought update - 10% Reduction Mandated in 61 North Georgia Counties!
On October 23, Governor Sonny Perdue directed the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) to modify current surface water and groundwater withdrawal and drinking water permits to achieve a 10 percent reduction in withdrawals for permit holders in the 61 North Georgia counties covered under the Level 4 drought designation. All non-farm permit holders will be required to reduce water withdrawals by 10 percent compared to the permit holder’s water usage of the last winter season. The following day, Governor Perdue called for state agencies to lead by example and reduce water consumption by 10 to 15 percent at state owned facilities. Through an executive order Governor Perdue also directed the Department of Natural Resources to develop a water conservation implementation plan including benchmarks, goals, and practices to achieve demonstrable water conservation. November 1, the Bush administration helped broker a proposal between the Georgia, Florida, and Alabama Governors to allow the Army Corps of Engineers to reduce flows by about 16 percent in the Apalachicola - Chattahoochee - Flint river basin while the three states continue to work toward a water-sharing agreement. Although the proposal will help sustain Atlanta's drinking supply, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) must still lend their approval because of the potential impact on several protected species of mussels and sturgeon that live downstream. The USFWS is expected to issue an expedited biological opinion on the change within two weeks. More information on conservation measures and the drought can be found on the EPD website: www.conservewatergeorgia.net and www.georgiadrought.org.

3. GWC Press Conference - GWC sends the Metro District Back to School!
The Coalition held a press conference Wednesday, October 31, at the State Capitol to issue a report card on the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District’s implementation of water conservation and efficiency measures. The report card’s purpose is to clearly illustrate how mismanagement of our water resources -- not endangered mussels -- led to our current water situation. Visit http://www.garivers.org/gawater/news.html to read the news release, the report card, SCHOOL Fact Sheet, Metro District Conservation Facts, and Metro Atlanta Water Withdrawal and Population Growth facts.

4. Help Energize Grassroots Efforts on the Water Plan
The Georgia Water Coalition kicked off a grassroots campaign to educate and activate GWC partner organizations’ members about GWC concerns and positions on the draft statewide water plan. Partners are hosting local meetings across the state from now through the end of the year. Please get involved in the organization of a local meeting in your area and publicize these meetings in your organizations newsletters to ensure a robust turnout of your members.

o November 14: Atlanta, Spelman College. Science Center - Room 130, Spelman College, 6:30-8:00pm. Sponsored by the Spelman College Environmental Task Force Coalition for the People's Agenda, Georgia Canoeing Association, Georgia Conservancy, Georgia Conservation Voters, Georgia Wildlife Federation, Sierra Club, West Atlanta Watershed Alliance. Contact - Shana Udvardy, 404. 876.2900 x 111.

o November 19: Clarkesville Public Library at 178 East Green Street. 7:00-8:30pm. Sponsored by Rabun Green and Soque River Watershed Association. Contact – Jenny Sanders and April Ingle (706) 549-4508.

o November 20: Augusta State University. University Hall, Room 170. 7:00 pm. Sponsored by Savannah Riverkeeper. Contact: Frank Carl, 706.364.5253.

o December 5: Savannah, Sentient Bean. 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. Sponsored by the Georgia Conservancy, Georgia Wildlife Federation, Savannah Riverkeeper, and other GWC coastal members. Contact - Patty McIntosh, 912.447.5910.

o TBA: Brunswick. Sponsored by Center for Sustainable Coast. Contact - Dave Kyler, 912.638.3612.

o TBA: Statesboro. Sponsored by Ogeechee Canoochee Riverkeeper. Contact - Chandra Brown, 912.764.2017.

Contact Sarah Barmeyer (sbarmeyer@gwf.org) if you are interested in participating in a meeting near you or hosting your own meeting. Also, please let Sarah know if your organization is having a meeting and would like someone from the GWC to attend and talk about the statewide water plan.
Submit a letter to the editor or an Op-Ed to their local paper. For sample letters or Op-Eds contact April Ingle at ingle@garivers.org
Include an article in your next newsletter. For a sample article contact April Ingle at ingle@garivers.org
5. Nominate Now for GRN Annual River Celebration Awards

Georgia River Network seeks nominations for the fourth annual Georgia River Network River Celebration Awards. The award program was designed to celebrate the successes and dedicated efforts of river activists in Georgia. Award recipients will be honored during a ceremony at the 2008 Georgia River Network Conference in Rome on February 22, 2008. Honorees will receive a scholarship to attend the conference, a plaque of commendation, acknowledgement on Georgia River Network’s web page and newsletter, and a 1-year complimentary membership. Award Categories include River Conservationist of the Year, Watershed Group of the Year and Volunteer of the Year. Individuals and organizations who successfully work to improve and protect Georgia’s rivers are eligible. Nominees are not required to be members of Georgia River Network. The deadline for nominations is December 7, 2007. We have made the nomination process easier than ever. Nominations can be submitted by phone, email or letter. Nomination information can be found on our homepage at www.garivers.org or by calling 706-549-4508.

6. Buy Coffee, Support Rivers – A Great Holiday Gift Idea!

This Holiday Season, serve, or give as a gift, a special coffee blend developed just for Georgia River Network by Café Campesino, a proud supporter of the Georgia River Network and Georgia's 100% Fair Trade, organic, shade-grown coffee roaster. When you purchase this special blend from Café Campesino, they will donate 10% of your coffee sale to GRN. If you want to help ensure a clean water legacy for our beautiful state and like great coffee, this robust blend of Guatemala, Sumatra, and Nicaragua Dark is for you. Product ID: 181 – GA River Network Special Blend, Full City Roast – Fair Trade, organic. Visit http://www.cafecampesino.com/index.php?afc=garn. Cafe Campesino is the official coffee vendor of Paddle Georgia.

7. Call for Proposals – University of West Georgia Water Conference
February 21-22, 2007 - Second Annual University of West Georgia Water Resources Conference - Strategic Water Management for the Future. Limit abstracts to 2100 characters. Please include a 1400 character biography. Abstracts and bios will be published, presentations will be on UTV13 (carried in west Georgia by Charter Cable), and Conference CD’s will be available. Undergraduate and graduate students are encouraged to attend and submit for either an oral or poster presentation. Abstracts and Bios must be submitted by January 4, 2008. To submit, please contact Michael Aldrich at 678-839-6357 or maldrich@westga.edu. Some suggested topical areas are Reservoir permitting/zoning/yield analysis, Wells/groundwater resources, Deliverability, State Water Plan, Future consumption/demand, Conservation, Difficulty in qualifying plant techs/availability of operators, Direct discharge – Pros & Cons, Drinking water treatment, Sewage treatment, Storm Water, Sustainability, Water quantity and water quality. Additional themes and proposals may be submitted to Michael Aldrich at 678-839-6357 or maldrich@westga.edu.

8. Group Spotlight: Satilla Riverkeeper
Satilla Riverkeeper got its start as a result of a perfect storm: residents basinwide were frustrated about dysfunctional sewers, unmanaged residential and commercial growth, uncontrolled stormwater, heaps of garbage and medical wastes belching from city drainage systems and “rafting up” on every blowdown, uncontrolled use of ATVs throughout the watershed, massive expansions of invasive species, green “goop” growing on the sugar-white sandbars, development in the floodplain, and large sections with low oxygen and little to no flow. The tipping point was the proposed citing of a titanium strip mine in Brantley County, the heart of the Satilla in most folks’ minds. The bulk of fishing clubs, public use, and, therefore, “river awareness” was and still is focused in this area, with 96 miles of river either bordering or contained in Brantley County.

A group of concerned citizens, called Save Our Satilla (SOS), partnered with Altamaha Riverkeeper, the Sierra Club, the Center for a Sustainable Coast, and Ms. Gloria Taylor (personally) to challenge U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permits to destroy flatwoods wetlands during the mining process, and to challenge Georgia EPD’s permits to discharge wastewater, to pump water from the aquifer, and to mine the materials. The litigation resulted in a vast expansion of what the Corps recognized as wetlands falling under their jurisdiction and in an operational and financial settlement of the EPD permit actions. Part and parcel to the settlement was an agreement that funds would be used to establish a Satilla “riverkeeper” or similar advocacy organization.

The vision of Satilla Riverkeeper is clear: the Satilla, its tributaries, and its terrestrial watershed supporting healthy fisheries, safe swimming, diverse wildlife populations, superb recreational opportunities, a stable water supply, and sustainable human economic activity – throughout the basin. To join Satilla Riverkeeper, or to learn more about its activities, go to www.satillariverkeeper.org or contact Lisa, John, or Gordon at 912-778-3126, toll free at 866-472-8452, or by email at info@satillariverkeeper.org.

9. Dust Bowl Ballads Concert – Athens
In 1940, Woody Guthrie recorded Dust Bowl Ballads, an album about the struggles of common people during the great dust bowl. The album echoes themes of environmental degradation, economic hardship, and social activism. In 2007, northeast Georgia is in the grip of a drought with serious environmental and social implications. On November 27, there will be a special concert in Athens at the 40 Watt to raise awareness of water conservation issues. Visit www.sandworms.org.

10. GRN Conference – Rome
February 22-23, 2008, GRN’s 8th Annual Conference - “Working Together for Clean Water” will be held on the beautiful Berry College campus in Rome. Visit http://www.garivers.org/events/conferences/2008/home.html. The conference will feature:

Keynote Addresses:

The Rich Biological Diversity of the Coosa River Basin
An Update on Georgia’s Statewide Water Plan and Current State Legislative and Policy Issues
Introduction to the GRN Minigrants Program and Grant Recipients

Three informative tracks on Saturday:

o Statewide Water Plan: Ensuring Enough Clean Water -Featuring presentations on interbasin transfers, strategies for water conservation, instream flow policy, and regional water planning

o Shared Lessons-Featuring presentations on stormwater messaging, using model ordinances to improve water quality, and presentations from groups around the state who are addressing nonpoint source pollution in their watersheds.

o Beyond the Basics, hosted by Georgia Adopt-A-Stream-Featuring presentations on volunteer recruitment, using volunteer data for regulatory purposes, and workshops on Bacteria monitoring and using Adopt-A-Stream’s new online database to analyze your data.

Friday Workshops:

“Big Money for Small Organizations” with Andy Robinson, featuring: Where’s the money? How do I ask for it? Turning members into major donors
“ Get the Dirt Out: Train the Trainer”: Train people in your community to spot problems on local construction sites, who to call if you see a problem, and how to follow up with the authorities to make sure the problems get fixed. Field trip included!

Plus:
-Friday night party, featuring a live and silent auction, live music, food and drinks.

-Fourth Annual River Celebration Awards honoring Georgia’s watershed groups, volunteers and river conservationists.

-Networking opportunities and Exhibits

Registration information will be available in early December at www.garivers.org or by calling 706-549-4508

11. DNR Board Meetings – DNR Board Room, Atlanta

No board meetings are scheduled for November. The next committee meetings are scheduled for December 4 and the Board meeting for December 5 in Atlanta. For details on DNR Board Meetings, visit http://www.gadnr.org/ (bottom left corner of home page). To view the schedule, visit http://www.gadnr.org/pdf/bdsched.pdf.

12. EPA Webcast – Smart Growth and Green Infrastructure

On Wed., Nov. 28, 2007, Geoffrey Anderson, EPA’s Director of Development, Community and Environment Division; Nancy Stoner, Director of the Natural Resources Defense Council’s (NRDC) Clean Water Project; and Noelle Mackay, Executive Director of Smart Growth Vermont, discuss how various Smart Growth and Green Infrastructure tools are being used at the regional, watershed and site levels to preserve, enhance, and protect our water resources. The speakers will also discuss various approaches, including messaging, research, and partnering, to ensure that these tools are successfully implemented. For more information or to access other archived audio versions of past Webcasts, please visit http://www.epa.gov/watershedwebcasts/.

13. Proposal Writing Seminar II in Atlanta
Friday, November 30, 9:00 am-4:00 pm: Are you a proposal writer who wants to go beyond the basics? This seminar is targeted at those who want to learn how to tailor a basic proposal to appeal to particular funders. It will help you critically assess every aspect of the proposal package in light of a specific funder's interests. You'll learn tactical writing tips that will help you meet the challenges of differing guidelines. Visit http://foundationcenter.org/marketplace/catalog/product_training.jhtml?id=prod1450008.

14. Save the Date: River Rally 08 – Huron Ohio
May 2-5, 2008. Visit www.rivernetwork.org.

15. Clam Jam on the Altamaha

A benefit for the Altamaha Riverkeeper on November 17. Visit www.altamahariverkeeper.org.

16. ICL Executive Director Leadership Program

The National Executive Director Program is a customized 9-month program to give executive directors the knowledge, skills, and support they need to lead their organization effectively. The program includes 2 sessions, interim/follow up coaching as well as interaction with a network of peers/other participants. Initial Workshop is April 6-11, 2008, Leadership Team Session November 9-12, 2008. Location of both sessions: Pearlstone Conference Center in Reistertown, MD. Visit http://icl.org/programs/2008NationalED.php. Applications are due January 15th, 2008.

17. ICL Complete Fundraiser Program – NC

The Institute for Conservation Leadership announces the 2008 Complete Fundraiser Program. The first workshop will be held February 17th - 21st, 2008 in North Carolina. Through three workshops and ongoing coaching and consulting support, participants gain fundraising skills and strategies to help lead their organizations in implementing new fundraising efforts. For complete information and to download and application, visit ICL’s website at www.icl.org. Apply by December 21, 2007.

18. Georgia Center For Non-Profits Workshops

Georgia Center for Non profits offers several organizational development workshops including fundraising, board governance, marketing, accounting and more. Visit www.gcn.org.

19. The Right Way to Resign From the Board
To view this article from CompassPoint, visit http://www.compasspoint.org/boardcafe/details.php?id=104.

20. Design Techniques for Newsletter and Website

The Goodman Hershey Eye-Q test will help you calculate how well you distinguish between designs that attract attention and those that drive it away. Visit www.agoodmanoline.com/EyeQ.

21. Save Water By Reducing Catalog Mail

Here is a way to limit your personal environmental impact: www.catalogchoice.org.

Paper use has a huge impact on the environment – and catalog printing and mailing is a huge part of that. Processing and transporting paper results in 5.2 billion pounds of carbon dioxide emissions which equals the annual emissions of two million cars. It also requires 53 billion gallons of fresh water. National Wildlife Federation and NRDC have teamed up with the Ecology Center on a new on-line consumer service called Catalog Choice. It gives people who shop via catalogs the choice of which catalogs they will receive in the mail (and which ones they wish to stop). What would it mean if this new service can lower catalog printing even by just 20%? It would mean 10 million trees not cut, 100,000 acres of land not cleared or thinned, and a billion pounds of greenhouse gases not emitted. Just click www.catalogchoice.org and sign up now.

22. Enviro Job Posting Website

Place your job postings on the Grist website at http://jobs.grist.org/.

23. Updated Compliance Guidelines for Public Charities and Private Foundations

From Guidestar: Two updated publications can help you keep your organization in the IRS's good graces. It's not always easy being part of a 501(c)(3) organization; keeping track of all the rules and regulations involved can be a daunting task. The IRS, however, has recently made things a bit easier by issuing updated versions of two useful brochures for public charities and private foundations. Publications 4221-PC and 4221-PF are designed to aid organizations in understanding the requirements involved in retaining their tax-exempt status. Visit http://www.guidestar.org/DisplayArticle.do?articleId=1174.

24. The Nonprofit Persona: Tips to Ensure Consistent Messaging Across Mediums

From Guidestar: How to adapt the presentation of your message to different mediums without compromising the message itself. Visit http://www.guidestar.org/DisplayArticle.do?articleId=1170.

25. The 20 Biggest Fundraising Mistakes, Part II

From Guidestar
Visit http://www.guidestar.org/DisplayArticle.do?articleId=1168

26. Fundraising Deadlines
The following foundations are either new to our list of grants or have upcoming deadlines to submit proposals. To view grant makers that give throughout the year, visit our website at http://www.garivers.org/resources/tools/grants.html.

Acorn Foundation - The Acorn Foundation is interested in small and innovative community-based projects which preserve and restore habitats supporting biological diversity and wildlife; advocate for environmental justice, particularly in low-income and indigenous communities; and prevent or remedy toxic pollution. Deadlines January 15 and June 15. For more information, visit http://www.commoncounsel.org.

BoatU.S. Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water is seeking nonprofit groups to help educate mariners about good environmental habits with grants of up to $4,000 for clean boating projects. Clean Water grants are designed to educate boaters on issues such as petroleum pollution prevention, pumpout education, and littering prevention. They are looking for projects that encourage boaters to learn to love their waterways - education projects that help boaters understand and appreciate their local boating habitat, as well as learn hands-on boating strategies that will keep the water and local habitat healthy and accessible for future boaters. To view previous grant projects, learn more about aquatic nuisance species, or download an application, please visit http://www.BoatUS.com/Cleanwater/grants. Applications must be e-mailed or postmarked by midnight February 1, 2008.

Corps Reform Network Grants The fund disperses small grants, typically ranging from $1,500 to $5,000, to CRN Member Groups working to ensure that Army Corps of Engineers projects are economically and environmentally sound. In many cases, groups use the fund to hire technical experts that aid in stopping controversial, environmentally destructive and/or fiscally unjustified Corps proposals and projects. The fund has $25,000 to distribute for this Fall/Winter 2007 funding cycle. Your organization must be a CRN Member to submit an application. If you would like to submit an application but are not a CRN Member, you may join the CRN online at www.corpsreform.org or contact CRN Coordinator George Sorvalis (202) 797-6617 sorvalisg@nwf.org for more information. Visit www.corpsreform.org. The deadline for this round of applications is December 7, 2007.

Department of Agriculture: Solid Waste Management Grant Program This program supports projects to reduce or eliminate pollution of water resources in rural areas and to improve planning and management of solid waste sites in rural areas. Applications will be accepted from October 1 through December 31 of each calendar year. Visit http://www.usda.gov/rus/water/SWMG.htm.

The Laura Jane Musser Fund supports nonprofit organizations nationally in the areas of solving environmental problems/encouraging environmental stewardship and promoting intercultural harmony. Support in all three categories is generally provided for projects that are new, or within the first three years of operation. Grants typically range from $1,000 to $35,000. The application deadline for the environment category is November 28, 2007. Visit the Fund's website for detailed information on each funding category at http://www.musserfund.org/stewardship.php.

Norman Foundation supports efforts that strengthen the ability of communities to determine their own economic, environmental and social well-being, and that help people control those forces that affect their lives. Support is provided for efforts to promote economic justice and development through community organizing; to prevent the disposal of toxics in communities, and to link environmental issues with economic and social justice; and to promote civil rights by fighting discrimination and violence and working for equity. Current civil rights priorities are education equity and criminal justice reform. Letters of inquiry are due November 15, 2007 in the area of environmental justice. Nonprofit organizations throughout the Unites States are eligible to apply. Visit http://www.normanfdn.org.

The Tellabs Foundation makes direct grants to eligible organizations, generally in the amount of $10,000 and above. Generally, grants will be considered for specific programs, rather than for general operating funds. The primary focus of the Foundation is to support programs in areas in which Tellabs employees live and work. (The Tellabs Southeast Regional Sales office is located in the Atlanta area.) Environment is one of three areas of special interest to the Foundation. It supports programs to encourage understanding and the protection of the environment - particularly in the areas of public health, clean air, clean water, recycling and waste reduction. The Tellabs Foundation Board meets quarterly, usually in January, April, July and October. The deadline for letters of inquiry or invited proposals is four weeks before the scheduled meeting. Proposals received after the deadline will be considered at the next meeting. It is recommended that letters of inquiry be submitted at least four months before funding is needed. Visit http://www.tellabs.com/about/foundation.shtml.

Town Creek Foundation - The Foundation supports programs that engage citizens in challenging the unsustainable use of natural resources and in protecting biological diversity. Strategies supported are grassroots activism, monitoring the enforcement of environmental laws, public policy advocacy, collaborative opportunities, media outreach, and model or demonstration projects fostering sustainable policies and practices. Deadlines are November 19, 2007 and March 14, 2008. Visit www.towncreekfdn.org.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and North American Wetlands Conservation Council seek proposals for small grants for wetlands-associated conservation projects. Deadline: November 30, 2007. Funds: $2 million for 40 awards of up to $75,000 each. Eligibility: Individuals and organizations, such as higher education institutions. Areas: Activities include wetlands acquisition and restoration. Visit www.fws.gov/birdhabitat/Grants/NAWCA/index.shtm.

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