Protecting Rivers

Program Manager
Lori Grant

Working to Strengthen Laws -- Making Sure They're Followed

While not as tangible or gratifying as physical improvements to rivers such as restoration of fish habitat or removal of an old dam, policy and regulations affecting what can happen in or near rivers have an enormous and long-term impact on the health of our flowing waters.   And like it or not, policy and regulations go hand in hand with politics. 

By building relationships with policy makers and governmental agencies, providing sound scientific information and mobilizing river advocates across the state, the River Alliance strives to influence the enactment and implementation of effective policies and regulations to protect and restore Wisconsin’s rivers.

Our core operating principles concerning policy advocacy are:

We monitor political trends and watchdog government policy-making and implementation so that we can be proactive, offering solutions instead of just challenging laws.

We are an assertive but respectful advocate, offering well-researched information and urging decision-makers to make the right choice, recognizing those who do, and alerting the public about those who do not.

We lead on issues critical to our mission – protecting and restoring rivers of the state – and offer support to the coalition of Wisconsin conservation organizations working to protect and improve other related elements of the environment.

We encourage and enable River Alliance members and supporters to jump into the arena of public policy creation. The waters we advocate to protect belong to all of us, and our elected officials work for us.

More information

See our new tools to help you influence government decisions

Learn about the policy issues we're currently working on.

Learn more about some of our top policy issues since 1993.