Policy and Advocacy

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

Politics can be messy, and maybe isn’t as gratifying or tangible as day spent cleaning up trash on a river.  Still, policy and regulations have an enormous and long-term impact on the health of our flowing waters.   Like it or not, policy and regulations go hand in hand with politics.

By building relationships with policy makers and government agencies, providing sound scientific information and mobilizing river advocates across the state, the River Alliance influences how, and whether,effective policies and regulations are passed and implemented that 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, applauding those who do, and alerting the public about those who do not.
• We lead on issues critical to our mission – that is, 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. The waters we advocate to protect belong to all of us, and our elected officials work for us.