Longer days promise renewed energy for enjoying our amazing region and all it offers for outdoor activities and community engagement!
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WILD RIVERS FILM TOUR & VERDE HEADWATERS STATE PARK
As part of our Plan of Action, Save the Dells strives to protect the flow of the Upper Verde River. Citizens Water Advocacy Group promotes a sustainable water future in the Upper Verde River Basin and the Prescott Active Management Area.
Have you ever wondered how the Verde River is related to the Quad Cities area? That's understandable!
Visit this link to see more about the Verde River, which includes a map on which you can find your location in reference to the water. (Hint: Granite Creek flows north into the Upper Verde River.)
Then, check out the following news.
Wild Rivers Film Tour
Flashback to November 2019 when Save the Dells partnered with the Granite Dells Preservation Foundation, Sierra Club Grand Canyon, and the Center for Biodiversity to premiere the "From the Rock to the River" event at the Elk's Theatre.
Then as now, Save the Dells partners with like-minded organizations to share visions, challenges, and responsibilities for the Verde River and the lands we love, and we're making it happen, including Wild & Scenic River designation for the Upper Verde River!
Looking for a fun event to kickstart an adventurous spring, including a mixer with people working to protect the Upper Verde?
Then join us again, this time for the WILD RIVERS FILM TOUR!
It's a celebration of wild rivers and call to action for protecting the rivers we all cherish. You'll see some familiar faces and get up-to-date on Verde River news, too.
This grassroots-style tour, now in its eighth year, was born of a partnership between American Rivers and the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, two nonprofit organizations committed to protecting and enhancing ecosystems that depend on clean, free-flowing rivers. For the Southwest, the tour is organized by the Southwest River Protection Program at American Rivers, which promotes solutions for rivers and the communities that depend on them. You can read Joe Trudeau's full article in 5enses Magazinehere.
You can buy your tickets in advance at this link. If you have any questions, please contact Joe Trudeau at joe_trudeau@tws.org.
Verde Headwaters State Park
The Trust for Public Land is leading a collaborative effort to purchase 1,000 acres of the historic Del Rio Springs Ranch in an effort to create a Verde River Headwaters State Park. Read the Daily Courier’s coverage here.
The proposed state park would include Sullivan Lake, Del Rio Springs, shallow lakes, and cottonwood groves; a railbed to extend Peavine National Recreation Trail; and historical preservation important for Arizona.
State Senator Sine Kerr, a conservative republican representing Arizona’s 25th Legislative District, is sponsoring a bill in the State Legislature to provide monies to purchase the land. SB 1392 would appropriate $10 million from the state General Fund in 2024 to the Arizona State Parks Board to establish a state park at the headwaters of the Verde River. The bill passed the Appropriations Committee on February 22 and moves up to the Rules Committee on March 6. You can track the bill's progress at this link.
Already, comments submitted to the Request to Speak system are in favor of the bill by 99 to 1! THANK YOU to everyone who has submitted their comments.
You can weigh in on bills, including SB 1392, through Arizona’s Request to Speak (RTS). RTS is an online tool that lets everyday citizens give Arizona state lawmakers feedback on bills.
By filling out this form, you allow Civic Engagement Beyond Voting CEBV) to create an account for you at the Arizona Legislature to use the Request to Speak (RTS) system. This will allow you to make your voice heard by commenting from the comfort of your own home to support or oppose legislation while it's being heard in committees. You can learn to use the RTS system by watching this video.
A few days after registering, You'll receive an email with instructions for the next steps you should take.
As we hear about the next time frame to comment, we'll send that along, including how to comment without using the RTS system.
Thank you for participating in this process!
Save the Dells is a state-level political action committee (PAC).
As a PAC we can expend much or all of our financial resources in support of or opposition to ballot initiatives, propositions, and candidates for public office.
The work we do is unique from 501(c)(3) nonprofits, who are prohibited from taking such actions.
Contributions to a PAC are not tax-deductible like those to 501(c)(3) nonprofits, but the dividends of these community investments are returned by victories that last a lifetime.
Like what you are seeing? We need your help. Please donate to keep Our Greater Mission going strong.
Thank you!
