Save the Verde! Reminders!!

Greetings,

What's new?  The City of Prescott recently agreed to add $30 million to their debt by approving bonding for water and sewer projects including $6.5 million for the Big Chino pipeline.  The funds will go to the acquisition of right-of-ways for the pipeline across Paulden, Chino Valley and county residents' properties.  If you've been contacted by the city or their contractors in this regard or have questions, please contact Michelle at (602) 628-9909.

A couple of letters to the editor made it into Prescott's Daily Courier in April advocating for the protection of the Verde River. Here are links to the letters from April 23 and April 27:

http://prescottdailycourier.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=43802&SectionID=13&SubSectionID=26&S=1

http://prescottdailycourier.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=43903&SectionID=13&SubSectionID=26&S=1

The calendar is chock full of terrific activities and opportunities.  Saturday the 12th is particularly packed with fun!  Join the Center, Verde Trout Recovery Project and Arizona Game and Fish for a fun day of tammy-bashing along the upper Verde River starting at 9 a.m.  See the calendar for details!

Next "Pipeline Protection" Coalition Meeting May 23
Please attend the next meeting of the Upper Verde River Watershed Protection Coalition on Wednesday May 23 at 2:00 p.m.  Join the growing number of voices requesting 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) prior to pipeline construction.  This is the best way to define meaningful protections for the river, provide assurances to the communities and avoid litigation.  The meeting is at the Prescott Town Hall, 201 S. Cortez Street.  Call Joanne at (928) 772-8204 for more information and talking points.

What do you want to be when you grow up?
The Center's Save the Verde campaign would love to put you to work as a volunteer!  If you have a little time, you can do a lot of good for the river.  We need walkers, writers, callers, talkers, tablers, speakers, artists, designers, bloggers, ... YOU!  Please contact Joanne at (928) 772-8204 to put any one of your many talents to good use.

And here are a couple other opportunities:

Be a Friend of the Verde River Greenway
Friends of Verde River Greenway (FOVRG), an official affiliate of the Arizona State Parks Foundation, is a recently established non-profit volunteer organization that provides restoration services and education opportunities in the Verde River Greenway-State Natural Area.  And they seem like really nice people!  Check out their Web site for more information and to be a Friend: http://verderivergreenway.org/.

Be a Water Sentinel
The Sierra Club has a "hands-on" opportunity to help the Verde River!  Lend a hand with water quality testing in the upper segment of the Verde River by participating in the Water Sentinels program.  Contact Sandy Bahr at (602) 253-8633 or sandy.bahr@sierraclub.org.

THANKS!!
Huge thanks again to all who came out to the Granite Creek Park Earth Day Event last month and to all who have patronized the Raven Café at 142 N. Cortez St. in Prescott where artist-decorated droplets are on display and for sale to benefit the Save the Verde campaign.  Thanks also goes to the artists who contributed droplets, the Raven Café, The Frame & I, Coffee Roasters, Prescott Crossroads Center and the many who have sent in their droplets to add their voices of support for the Verde River.  The Little Drop of Water project continues to gather droplets for future displays at locations throughout the watershed.  If you haven’t submitted a decorated droplet yet, please download a copy, art it up, and mail it to Little Drop of Water, Center for Biological Diversity, PO Box 39629, Phoenix, AZ 85069.

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!

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