Save the Verde! Announcements & News

Greetings,

The Center is deeply grateful to the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust for its generous gift of $80,000 for the Save the Verde campaign.  This means our presence in Prescott for the next year is assured and our outreach will expand.

We also thank you, the people who care for the Verde River, the wildlife that depends on it, and the quality of life of people in the region.  Thank you for attending the meetings of city councils, coalitions, partnerships, committees, etc.  Thank you for the letters of concern you send to the leaders who are making the decisions that will last many lifetimes.  And thank you for the donations of time and money you have given the Save the Verde campaign.

Speaking of Meetings...
In meetings and presentations in Prescott and surrounding communities, elected officials and water managers positioned themselves after input about obstacles to the Big Chino Water Ranch Project.  Herb Guenther, Director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources, presented to the Prescott City Council last month and outlined the risks of pumping the Big Chino, which includes Upper Chino Valley and Paulden planned developments competing with the city of Prescott.  He suggested performing risk analysis that takes into account the impact of reduction of Verde River base flow.

At the same time, community members are stepping forward with suggestions for alternatives to what they see as plans that lack sound resource stewardship.  Opportunities for more sustainable watershed management, ramped-up water conservation, and a regional water district continue as high-profile public comment issues.

At a March Town Hall meeting, Carol Springer, county supervisor, unveiled the overlay map of the final Big Chino pipeline route that identifies potentially impacted properties, but despite stating that "lots of good research" is being done to protect the Upper Verde River, she had no satisfactory response when attendees challenged her to be more specific.

As the Upper Verde River Watershed Protection Coalition makes plans to use the $200,000 approved by their members, the Water Advisory Committee, a cross-governmental, county-wide group, discusses a hefty list of questions drafted by its members as a commonsense approach to finding a solution for meeting water needs while protecting the Verde.

Next Pipeline Protection Coalition Meeting
Please attend the next meeting of the Upper Verde River Watershed Protection Coalition on Wednesday, March 28th at 2:00 p.m. and request that Prescott, Prescott Valley and the other communities work with the Fish and Wildlife Service to prepare a formal mitigation plan or Habitat Conservation Plan (see letter dated April 29, 2005).  The meeting is at the Prescott Town Hall, 201 S. Cortez Street.  Call Joanne at (928) 772-8204 for more information and talking points.

Send Us Your Droplets in Time for Earth Day!
See the Center's ad in the February and March issues of Read It Here, a Prescott area free-on-the-street alternative newspaper.  The ad features a water droplet you can decorate and take to Prescott Coffee Roasters for 20 cents off a coffee drink.  You can also mail the droplets to the Center (see below) or drop them off at the Crossroads Café.  We're pushing to get as many drops as possible in by April 14 to be included in a special display for Earth Day, so get yours in today!

Juanita Hull-Carlson, an artist whose work is featured at Van Gogh's Ear on Whiskey Row in Prescott, is working with the Center on a fundraiser for the Save the Verde campaign featuring Little Drops decorated by local professional artists, with framing assistance by The Frame & I.  The framed droplets will be on display at the Raven Café, 142 N. Cortez St. in Prescott, and available for sale in conjunction with Earth Day.  Proceeds will benefit the Center's Save the Verde campaign.  Contact Ashley at (928) 533-4309 for more information.

Calendar
Check out the latest calendar of events! If you have an item for the calendar or want more information, please contact Joanne at (928) 772-8204 or Michelle at (602) 628-9909.

In the Schools
Save the Verde campaign volunteer Ashley Fine has created a Verde River hydrology lesson for elementary students and is presenting to several classrooms in the Prescott and Verde Valley areas.  If you're interested in having Ashley share information or present to a class, please contact her at (928) 533-4309.

More House Parties!
Want to do something special for the Verde?  Host a letter-writing party!  All you have to do is let us know you want to host a party, invite a few friends, provide some food and beverages, and we'll show up with some entertainment, ideas and materials.  If you're short on friends who can help, we'll find some for you — our phone list is growing!  Please contact Ashley at (928) 533-4309 if you're interested in hosting a House Party.

PLEASE Write a Letter to the Editor TODAY!
Take a few minutes and write a letter to the editor of your local paper.  Tell them that you want Prescott, Prescott Valley and Chino Valley to work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to formulate a Habitat Conservation Plan to protect the upper Verde River and its habitat.  Emphasize, too, that the city-sponsored Upper Verde River Watershed Protection Coalition's isolationism hurts the river and that the members should join the Verde River Basin Partnership and cooperate with other communities in the watershed.  Click here for more talking points and links to some area newspapers.

Little Drop of Water
The Center has collected hundreds of beautifully decorated "Little Drops" as part of the Little Drop of Water project!  Our goal is to gather at least 2,000 droplets.  That's where you come in.  Download your own droplet today from the savetheverde.org Web site.  Write your notes for the Verde, promise to conserve water or request protection of the river's flows, and mail them to us at: Little Drop of Water, Center for Biological Diversity, P.O. Box 39629, Phoenix, AZ 85069.

Some of the "Little Drops" are currently on display in Prescott at the Crossroads Center at Prescott College, Coffee Roasters, Show Business Video, and the Hair Spray Salon.  Stop in to see some of the great art and messages people have been writing.  You can also pick up and drop off your droplets at most of these locations.  Special thanks to everyone who has already submitted their droplet!

Make a Contribution!
The Center for Biological Diversity appreciates your interest and involvement in the Save the Verde campaign.  Please visit savetheverde.org for other news and updates.  You can make a donation to this campaign from the secure Web site.  Please contribute today!

This message was sent to . Visit your subscription management page to modify your email communication preferences or update your personal profile. To stop receiving Verde River Alerts, click to unsubscribe. To stop ALL email from Center for Biological Diversity - Biodiversity Activist, click to remove yourself from our lists (or reply via email with "remove or unsubscribe" in the subject line).