LAST CHANCE! Spring Project Grants are Open Until March 30th!
The March 30th deadline for Freshwater Future’s Spring Project Grants is TOMORROW. You have until midnight to submit your application! These grants provide up to $5,000 to support grassroots groups advocating to promote drinking water, river, lake, shoreline, wetland, and groundwater protection in the Great Lakes Basin. You can learn more about our Spring Project Grants here.
Report Card on Drinking Water Funding: How Did Your State Perform?
Have you heard of State Revolving Funds? This important fund allows water systems to apply for loans and grants to keep drinking water safe, accessible, and affordable. In 2021, Congress tripled these funds for 5 years with record benefits for disadvantaged communities. For the second year in a row, Freshwater Future has analyzed and rated each Great Lakes state’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) program in a report card. Grades are assigned through a color-coded system of red, yellow, and green. Learn more about these funds and how Great Lakes states are doing in our blog!
Fighting Predatory Water System Pricing and Privatization in Pennsylvania
Last week, Freshwater Future along with our partners fighting against the privatization of public water systems in Pennsylvania submitted a sign on letter to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission. The letter urged the Public Utility Commission to adopt a fair valuation of public water systems in their sales to prevent the most excessive rate hikes and take substantive steps to improve transparency in water and sewer privatizations.
Freshwater Future’s executive director, Jill Ryan, said “Water is critical to life and municipal water systems have been built by community members over many decades in order to provide this critical resource. These vital systems need to be kept in public hands and predatory and behind-closed door negotiations must not be allowed.” You can take a stand against the privatization of the United States’ water systems by signing on to our petition to the White House!
Freshwater Future Participates in March Madness with the Grand Rapids Gold Basketball Team on March 30th
Come join Freshwater Future to support the Grand Rapids Gold, an NBA G-league basketball team, for their final game of the season on March 30th at 7 pm at Van Andel Arena! The team will wear jerseys with the Freshwater Future logo and jerseys are being auctioned off with proceeds going to Freshwater Future – you can join the auction here until April 3rd! Thanks to our partner Founders Brewing Co., the official Craft beer of the Grand Rapids Gold for including us in this opportunity.
Freshwater Future’s Associate Director, Ann Baughman, looking particularly petite next to some of the Grand Rapid’s Gold players (left: Joey Baker, Au’Diese Toney, Justin Jackson, Walter Ellis, and Jamorko Pickett) and one of their jerseys that is being auctioned off!
Calling All Michigan Advocacy Organizations: Comment on EGLE’s Public Participation Policy – Deadline March 31st!
Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy’s (EGLE) recently proposed updates to their Public Participation Policy and we want to make sure it is as equitable as possible so that our communities’ voices are heard in all agency decisions. We are inviting any organizations in Michigan to sign on to our comments to demand the strongest possible policy. Signatures are due by this Sunday, March 31st!
